Johan Persson News

Cameron Mackintosh and Disney Theatrical Productions' production of Mary Poppins has now returned to its original West End home at the Prince Edward Theatre, marking the first time this new production has been seen in London. 

The most famous love story of all time. Remixed. That's the opening strapline for & Juliet, the new British musical that is now in previews in London, after a successful run in Manchester. & Juliet picks up the Shakespearean story we all know and love and runs with it, turning it on its head and posing the question: What if Juliet's famous ending was really her beginning? Punctuated with a plethora of pop hits from music mogul Max Martin, & Juliet looks set to shake up the musical theatre landscape and deliver audiences something that's fresh and engaging. We chat to musical theatre legend Oliver Tompsett.

Just over a year ago Natalia Osipova premiered her own curated programme of work, Pure Dance, to mixed reviews. Amazing how, just one year later and with the pieces sitting more comfortably with the artists on stage, the momentum shifts, making for a much more powerful evening than before. 

What a year for theatre 2019 has been! Remembering all of the amazing shows as part of the build-up to the BroadwayWorld UK Awards has been a complete joy, and it is my pleasure to present some thoughts about the shows that have left a distinct impression on my stagey mind.

ZooNation: The Kate Prince Company's award-nominated Some Like It Hip Hop returns to The Peacock for a run from Wednesday 23 October - Saturday 9 November, following a UK tour.

The stage adaptation of best-selling author Matt Haig's Reasons To Stay Alive from Sheffield Theatres and English Touring Theatre, with text by April De Angelis and directed by Jonathan Watkins, comes to HOME Manchester 29 October - 2 November 2019.

Waitress has announced its next Cast Album Karaoke Night will take place on 16 October in partnership with Official London Theatre offering audience members the chance to sing songs from the smash hit comedy musical, by 7-time Grammy nominee Sara Bareilles, live on the West End stage.

& Juliet officially opened at Manchester Opera House tonight (1 October 2019).

A girl made of glass. Gods and murders. A serial killer's friends. And a secret in a bottle. Four stories by Caryl Churchill. Let's see what the critics had to say.

Caryl Churchill returns with a new quartet of shorts a?' and, at 81, she's still one of the most daring, formally inventive and linguistically dexterous playwrights working today. There's never any sense that her work could slide into another medium; it requires theatre's abstract arena, its live-wire liveness, the crucial space for an audience to bring their own readings, and the very act of storytelling unfolding.

Kwabena Ansah, Caelan Edie, Deborah Findlay, Louisa Harland, Toby Jones, Patrick McNamee, Tom Mothersdale, Rebekah Murrell, Sarah Niles, Leo Rait and Sule Rimi lead the world premiere of Glass. Kill. Bluebeard. Imp., four plays written by Caryl Churchill and directed by James Macdonald. With set design by Miriam Buether, costume design by Nicky Gillibrand, lighting design by Jack Knowles and sound design by Christopher Shutt.

Rebekah Murrell made her professional acting debut in Natasha Gordon's award-winning Nine Night, which opened at the National Theatre before transferring to Trafalgar Studios. Earlier this year, she followed that up with her directing debut: J'Ouvert at Theatre503. She can now be seen performing in Glass at the Royal Court, one of four new plays written by Caryl Churchill and directed by James Macdonald. BroadwayWorld spoke with Rebekah about the rehearsal process, Churchill's work, and what changes she would like to see in the theatre industry.

Starkly beautiful scenery and strong performances drive this Sheffield Theatres and English Touring Theatre adaptation of Matt Haig's popular memoir.

The critically-acclaimed hit Girl from the North Country, written and directed byConor McPherson with music and lyrics by Bob Dylan, is to play at the Gielgud Theatre in the West End for a limited season from 10 December 2019 to 1 February 2020. Girl from the North Country opens in the West End following a run at the Royal Alexandra Theatre, Toronto, opening 28 September 2019, and prior to the Broadway production opening in March 2020 at The Belasco Theatre.

Hedda Tesman transports one of theatre's great roles into the present day, but Cordelia Lynn's script never quite lands.

Australian actor Josh Piterman has recently taken over the leading role in the West End production of The Phantom of the Opera, celebrating its 33rd year at Her Majesty's Theatre. He spoke to BroadwayWorld about playing the 'Angel of Music'.

Renowned choreographer William Forsythe brings a new kind of dance work to The Shed, October 11 a?" 25, 2019, that, like an evening of chamber music, is designed to be listened to. Staged in the 500-seat Griffin Theater, A Quiet Evening of Dance is an intimate experience for audiences in which choreography is stripped down to its essence, with works ranging from sparse analytic distillation to baroque-inspired counterpoint.

In an explosive blend of live music, spoken word and theatre, Jackie Kay's 1986 provocation is breathed a new life under Lynette Linton's hand. It is the director's first show since taking the AD job at the Bush Theatre, and is one that highly entertains, whilst also shines a light on queer women of colour across generations.

Sheffield Theatres and English Touring Theatre today announce the full cast for their co-production of the world première of Matt Haig's Reasons to Stay Alive imagined for the stage by Jonathan Watkins and with text by April De Angelis.