Joanna Riding News

Voting opened this week for the 2013 BWW:UK Awards - and we've already had a record number of votes in!

Stephen Ward, which has music byAndrew Lloyd Webber and book and lyrics by playwright Christopher Hampton and lyricist Don Black, previews at the Aldwych Theatre from 3 December 2013 with press night on 19 December 2013. The production, directed by Richard Eyre, is currently booking to 1 March 2014. The cast album is set to be released by Decca on March 3, 2014. CLICK HERE to preview tracks from the show and HERE for a free download of 'Human Sacrifice' and preorder the album.

Musical theatre royalty paid tribute to lyricist Don Black at the Royal Festival Hall last night as he celebrated 50 years in showbiz.

The starring cast members of Andrew Lloyd Webber's highly anticipated new historical scandal-based West End musical STEPHEN WARD convened to perform songs from the score with the world renown composer himself on hand and four songs from the show are now available to hear in full.

Earlier today at a special event at The Box in Soho, Stephen Ward was launched with cast and creative team as well as VIP guest MAndy Rice-Davies. Opening in the West End later this year, Stephen Ward, which has music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and book and lyrics by playwright Christopher Hampton and lyricist Don Black, previews at the Aldwych Theatre from 3 December 2013 with press night on 19 December 2013. The production, directed by Richard Eyre, is currently booking to 1 March 2014. Set and Costume designs are by Rob Howell, with lighting by Peter Mumford, sound by Paul Groothuis, projection design by Jon Driscoll and choreography by Stephen Mear. Stephen Ward is produced by Robert Fox Limited and The Really Useful Group. Check out highlights from today's event below!

Today (30 September 2013) at a special event at The Box in Soho, Stephen Ward was launched with cast and creative team as well as VIP guest Mandy Rice-Davies. Opening in the West End later this year, Stephen Ward, which has music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and book and lyrics by playwright Christopher Hampton and lyricist Don Black, previews at the Aldwych Theatre from 3 December 2013 with press night on 19 December 2013. The production, directed by Richard Eyre, is currently booking to 1 March2014. Set and Costume designs are by Rob Howell, with lighting by Peter Mumford, sound by Paul Groothuis, projection design by Jon Driscoll and choreography by Stephen Mear. Stephen Ward is produced by Robert Fox Limited and The Really Useful Group. Check out a look back at today's event below!

The cast for the World Premiere of Stephen Ward, directed by Richard Eyre, will comprise Alexander Hanson as Stephen Ward, Charlotte Spencer as Christine Keeler, Charlotte Blackledge as Mandy Rice Davies, Anthony Calfas Lord Astor, Daniel Flynn as John Profumo, Joanna Riding as Valerie Hobson, Ian Conningham as Ivanov, Chris Howell as Murray, Ricardo Coke Thomas as Lucky Gordon and Wayne Robinson as Johnny Edgecomp. Other cast members are Martin Callaghan, Kate Coyston, Jason Denton, Julian Forsyth, Amy Griffiths, Paul Kemble, Emma Kate Nelson, Carl Sanderson, Emily Squibb, John Stacey, Helen Ternent and Tim Walton.

He's starring in The Pajama Game at Chichester - but Peter Polycarpou is delighted to pick up his 2012 BWW:UK Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical, thanks to his role in the Olivier-winning Sweeney Todd!

Distinguished director Richard Eyre returns to Chichester to open Festival 2013 with THE PAJAMA GAME. The production is at the Minerva Theatre, now through 8 June. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

Alex Parker brings the award-winning and critically acclaimed Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler musical A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC to the Yvonne Arnaud, in a special concert reading of the show on June 16.

Distinguished director Richard Eyre returns to Chichester to open Festival 2013 with THE PAJAMA GAME. Love is in the air at the Sleep-Tite Pajama Factory as handsome new Superintendent Sid Sorokin falls head-over-heels for firebrand Union rep Babe Williams. But when the employees are refused a seven-and-a-half cents an hour raise, sparks fly and the couple find themselves deliciously at odds. Will love, eventually, conquer all in this delightful romantic comedy?

Theatre in the Park will be unveiled with a major revival of the musical Barnum presented in association with Cameron Mackintosh. Directed by Timothy Sheader, Artistic Director of Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, this production will star the versatile and consummate Broadway entertainer Christopher Fitzgerald in the title role.

There are some winter traditions that never fail us. London will grind to a halt at the first sign of sleet, Oxford Street will turn into a festive free-for-all the week before Christmas and Hackney Empire will put on a good panto.

In May 1954, the musical The Pajama Game opened at the St. James Theatre, where it ran for 1,063 performances. It opened in the West End the following year, played Broadway most recently in a 2006 revival starring Kelli O'Hara and Harry Connick Jr., and, according to The Daily Mail's Baz Bamigboye, is now slated to play Chichester Festival's Minerva Theatre in early 2013.

LEND ME A TENOR THE MUSICAL, the new musical comedy by Peter Sham and Brad Carroll, based on Ken Ludwig's award-winning play, which opened at the Gielgud Theatre earlier this summer to some rave reviews, closes today.

LEND ME A TENOR THE MUSICAL, the new musical comedy by Peter Sham and Brad Carroll, based on Ken Ludwig's award-winning play, which opened at the Gielgud Theatre earlier this summer to some rave reviews, is to close. The production's last performance will be Saturday 6 August.

Dress Circle has just announce that tickets for the celebratory gala are now on sale. The gala as produced by Stuart Matthew Price and James Yeoburn, will be performed on Sunday 7th August 2011 at Her Majesty's Theatre in London, the West End home of Andrew Lloyd Webber's hit musical Phantom of the Opera.