Lenny Henry News

Cast members of MA RAINEY'S BLACK BOTTOM tell of the lack of opportunity to tell stories penned by their country's black playwrights.

Ground-breaking American play A Raisin in the Sun begins its UK tour in the Studio Theatre from Thursday 28 January to Saturday 13 February. 

BroadwayWorld is excited to report the full cast for the world premiere of THE WILDNESS: SKY-PONY'S ROCK FAIRY TALE, with text by Obie Award winner Kyle Jarrow and Lauren Worsham and songs by Kyle Jarrow. 

As previously reported, Hampstead Theatre will present the UK premiere of David Lindsay-Abaire's Pulitzer Prize-winning drama RABBIT HOLE, directed by Edward Hall. Now, The Daily Mail writes that a restrained Claire Skinner (as Becca) and Alison Steadman (as Nat, Becca's mother) will star in the production, which begins on January 29, 2016.

?A major new documentary following the lives of nine Coventry teenagers filmed on location at the Belgrade Theatre will be aired this November on primetime BBC One as part of a special season of programmes celebrating British Theatre across the UK, it was announced today.

Casting is announced today for Around the World in 80 Days, which will run at the St. James Theatre from 26 November 2015 to 17 January 2016, with press night on 3 December 2015. Leading the cast in the role of Phileas Fogg will be Robert Portal, who, in challenges reminiscent of Fogg's own quest, has rowed 3000 miles across the Atlantic in The Talisker Whisky Challenge and partaken in the Marathon des Sables, running over 150 miles of the Sahara Desert in six days, raising money for charity in both instances.

Yesterday (5 October), at the launch event in London for Motown the Musical, Cedric Neal (Berry Gordy) and Lucy St. Louis (Diana Ross) were announced to lead the cast in the West End production, opening at the Shaftesbury Theatre in February 2016.  With music and lyrics from the legendary Motown catalogue and book by Motown founder Berry Gordy, Motown the Musical is directed by Charles Randolph-Wright.  London previews will begin on 11 February 2016, with press night on 8 March 2016, with the show booking to 22 October 2016.

The Play Company (PlayCo), led by Founding Producer Kate Loewald and Executive Producer Lauren Weigel celebrates its 15th Anniversary season with programming that exemplifies its unique commitment to premiering plays from around the world, including the U.S., to advance a dynamic, international experience of contemporary theater as part of the American repertoire.

In a new production commissioned by the Finborough Theatre and originally seen as a staged reading as part of Vibrant -- A Festival of Finborough Playwrights 2013, the world premiere of We Know Where You Live  by Steven Hevey, the award-winning Playwright-on-Attachment at the Finborough Theatre, runs at the Finborough Theatre, playing nine Sunday and Monday evenings from Sunday, 2nd August 2015 (Press Night: Monday, 3rd August 2015 at 7.30pm).

Following the critical success earlier in the year with their production of King Lear, the acclaimed Yorkshire theatre company Northern Broadsides will return to the works of Shakespeare this autumn with a daringly theatrical and heartbreakingly human new staging of his tale of reconciliation, love and forgiveness - The Winter's Tale.

Gypsy opened in the West End last night, Tuesday 15 April 2015 at the Savoy Theatre, London. Directed by Jonathan Kent with book by Arthur Laurents, Gypsy has music by Jule Styne, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim suggested by the memoirs of Gypsy Rose Lee, choreography by Stephen Mear, designs by Anthony Ward, musical direction and orchestration by Nicholas Skilbeck, lighting by Mark Henderson and sound by Paul Groothuis.

The awards have all been given out - time to celebrate!

Hosted by acclaimed actor and comedian Lenny Henry, the ceremony featured a showstopping finale with Kevin Spacey and Beverley Knight performing a one-off version of Bridge Over Troubled Water with the full Oliviers Orchestra and the 90-strong Arts Educational Choir under Musical Director Larry Blank. Hampstead Theatre and the Young Vic are the big winners of the night, winning four awards each

To mark its third year on air at Resonance 104.4fm, and to celebrate the Olivier Awards 2015, The Curtain Up Show will broadcast live from The Theatre Cafe on Shaftesbury Avenue today 10th April from 4.00pm - 5.30pm.

The Olivier Awards with MasterCard - the most prestigious event in the UK's theatrical calendar - are set take place on Sunday 12 April at the Royal Opera House and broadcast from 22:15 that evening on ITV in a full highlights package. Don't forget to tune in to BroadwayWorld on Sunday afternoon for live coverage of the ceremony!

To mark its third year on air at Resonance 104.4fm, and to celebrate the Olivier Awards 2015, The Curtain Up Show will broadcast live from The Theatre Cafe on Shaftesbury Avenue on Friday 10th April from 4.00pm - 5.30pm. In front of an invited audience of industry professionals and theatre fans, Tim McArthur will be chatting to some of this year's nominees, and finding out what this prestigious honour means to them, just two days before the big event!

Hampstead Theatre has announced that the cast for Michael Frayn's latest work MATCHBOX THEATRE will be Esther Coles, Tim Downie, Mark Hadfield, Chris Larner, Felicity Montagu and Nina Wadia.

The Olivier Awards with MasterCard - the most prestigious event in the UK's theatrical calendar - has revealed further details of the 2015 ceremony to be held on Sunday 12 April at the Royal Opera House and broadcast from 22:15 that evening on ITV in a full highlights package.

The ceremony for the Olivier Awards 2015 with MasterCard, on Sunday 12 April at the Royal Opera House, will be hosted by the critically acclaimed actor and performer Lenny Henry.

On the heels of the 2015 Olivier Awards nominations announcement, the Daily Mail writes that Lenny Henry will host the ceremony at the Royal Opera House on Sunday, April 12.