Jenny Galloway News

London is never short of temptations, whether splashy West End shows, epic dramas or bold fringe offerings. From a buzzy new musical to returning favourites, here are some of this month's most eye-catching openings. Don't forget to check back for BroadwayWorld reviews, interviews and features!

New casting announced for the new National Theatre season. Full cast has been announced for Brian Friel's Translations including Colin Morgan and Ciaran Hinds, part of the Travelex season with thousands of tickets available at £15. Eric Kofi Abrefa and Thalissa Teixeira join Vanessa Kirby in the cast of Julie, part of the Travelex season with thousands of tickets available at £15. Sam Mendes directs The Lehman Trilogy, a co-production with Neal Street Productions, cast includes Adam Godley, Ben Miles and Simon Russell Beale. Full casting is announced for the award winning An Octoroon by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, transferring to the National Theatre in a co-production with the Orange Tree Theatre. The NT will tour to 30 venues in 27 towns and cities across the UK and Ireland, for a total of 83 playing weeks over the next year. Rufus Norris' Macbeth to tour to 18 venues across the UK and Ireland from autumn 2018. War Horse returns to the National Theatre marking the centenary of Armistice Day.

Bomb-blasted London. A Soho den in the hangover from World War II, where members drink into the darkness, night after night. Lying, fighting and seducing, these lost souls and bruised lovers struggle from the rubble of war towards an unknown future.

???????Further casting has been announced for the opening productions of Chichester Festival Theatre's 2017 season, FORTY YEARS ON and CAROLINE, OR CHANGE.

Arion Productions has announced West End leading lady, Anna Jane Casey, as the latest artist to join the line-up of extraordinary performers and industry professionals providing expert 'one day only' training in much-sought-after specialist fields.  These masterclasses take place at Diorama Arts Studios on various Sunday afternoons throughout 2016.

Arion Productions Ltd has launched a new series of masterclasses to provide expert 'one day only' training in much-sought-after specialist fields with some of the country's finest theatre, film, television and radio professionals at the Diorama Arts Studios. Masterclasses include, two time Oliver Award winner, Jenny Galloway (Acting Through Song Masterclass), long standing War Horse, Citizen Squid and Goodnight Mr Tom puppeteer, Abigail Matthews (West End Puppetry Masterclass) and Olivier and Actor's Screen Guild Award nominated actress Annette Badland (Acting for Stage and Screen Masterclass) who is currently appearing in EastEnders.

Richard Eyre's sold out Hampstead Theatre production of Mr Foote's Other Leg will transfer to Theatre Royal Haymarket from 28th October, for a limited season in London's West End. Press night Wednesday 4th November. The new comedy, set in Georgian London, written by Ian Kelly, directed by Richard Eyre, and designed by Tim Hatley, met with acclaim from both critics and the general public alike upon its opening at the Hampstead Theatre in September.

The Daily Mail reports that Hampstead Theatre's production of Ian Kelly's MR. FOOTE'S OTHER LEG, starring Simon Russell Beale and directed by Richard Eyre, will transfer to the Theatre Royal Haymarket next month.

Hampstead Theatre has announced that Simon Russell Beale will be joined by Dervla Kirwan and Joseph Millson in the cast of Ian Kelly's new play about the dawn of celebrity.

New York's flagship public media station THIRTEEN will air a special re-broadcast of the famed London Les Miserables 25th Anniversary Concert this evening, June 14 beginning at 7 pm.

New York's flagship public media station THIRTEEN will air a special re-broadcast of the famed London LES MISERABLES 25th Anniversary Concert this Sunday evening, June 14 beginning at 7 pm.  The concert, which celebrated the original London production's 25th Anniversary, took place on October 3, 2010 at the O2 Arena and starred Alfie Boe as Jean Valjean.  Boe will reprise his legendary performance beginning September 1 in Cameron Mackintosh's acclaimed new Broadway revival of LES MISERABLES at the Imperial Theatre.  The concert will also be broadcast on WLIW21 on Long Island Monday, June 15 at 7 pm and Saturday, June 20 on NJTV at 7 pm.

Olivia Colman recently spoke to the Daily Mail about being 'baffled' to land two singing film roles -- the first in Rufus Norris's big screen version of LONDON ROAD, and the second is in Yorgos Lanthimos's surrealist project LOBSTER.

Hailed as a remarkable, ground-breaking work during two sell-out runs at the National Theatre, the feature film adaptation of LONDON ROAD reunites the award winning team, with script by Alecky Blythe, music by Adam Cork and directed by Rufus Norris (Broken).

Hampstead Theatre has announced Tiger Country will be Free Streamed worldwide on the final night, Saturday 17 January at 7.30pm at hampsteadtheatre.com and at telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre.

Hampstead Theatre has announced the casting for Tiger Country, which will be on the Main Stage 8 December 2014 to 17 January 2015. Indira Varma will star in the production, written and directed by Nina Raine.

In honor of Les Miserables' opening tonight, BroadwayWord brings you the actors who've taken on the many complex and vocally challenging roles of Victor Hugo's world, from the unscrupulous Thenardiers to innocent Cosette, or principled Javert against the compassionate and strong-willed Jean Valjean. From Fantine and Eponine, unfortunate in life and romance, to Enjolras and Marius, the fiery young leaders of the French Revolution.

BroadwayWorld is thrilled to share with you a two part interview series featuring the cast and crew of Les Miserables which opens at McCallum Fine Arts Academy next Thursday, February 27th.

Today we are talking to the king of the modern musical and the most successful theatrical producer in history - the man behind the original productions of countless iconic musicals, among them: LES MISERABLES, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, CATS, MISS SAIGON, STARLIGHT EXPRESS and MARY POPPINS - the one and only Cameron Mackintosh. Looking back at many of his most remarkable musicals to date and also some of his lesser-known success d'estime projects - such as THE FIX - Mackintosh reveals his dedication and passion for the performing arts and discusses many aspects of his legendary shows and displays the characteristic charm and insight that has gotten him to his enviable position over his forty years producing for Broadway, the West End and around the world. Most importantly, Mackintosh and I analyze the mega-successful feature film adaptation of LES MISERABLES, directed by Tom Hooper, and Mackintosh relates many fascinating insights as to the musical's original genesis and the journey of the film from page to stage to screen - such as working with original composer/lyricist team Claude-Michel Schoenberg, Alain Boublil and Herbert Kretzmer on creating new musical material explicitly for the movie, as well as the audition and casting process for the central characters. Looking ahead, Mackintosh shares thoughts on potential MISS SAIGON and OLIVER feature film adaptations in the future and gamely speculates on casting for each, while also giving us the scoop on a new stage production of BARNUM he is producing, set to star Christopher Fitzgerald, and the exciting enhancements being made to the well-regarded musical for this new revised and reconceived production. All of that, Mackintosh's thoughts on the enduring legacy of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA and the recent Royal Albert Hall 25th Anniversary Celebration and Broadway anniversary, as well as comments on the new touring productions of LES MISERABLES and PHANTOM coming later this year and next year, as well as the major 2014 LES MISERABLES and MISS SAIGON revivals set for the main-stage of the West End and Broadway - and much, much more!

Emma Rucastle gives her verdict on the most high-profile Les Mis casts...

We've asked a few Les Mis obsessives to compare the movie casts with the others immortalised on recordings and on film...