Louis Maskell News

The record-breaking UK national tour of 'WEST SIDE STORY' is now entering the final three months of its year-long tour. There are just eight stops left until the tour ends at the Theatre Royal Norwich on 13 September 2014.

I will probably be thrown into the darkest depths of Musical Theatre Purgatory for saying this, but…West Side Story has never been a favourite of mine. However, bear with me. I vaguely remember watching the film in my early years of secondary school, and wasn't particularly enamoured by it, so it was with mixed feelings of uncertainty and curiosity that I headed over to the Bristol Hippodrome to see the show on stage for the first time.

Based on Shakespeare's Romeo And Juliet,West Side Story is set on Manhattan's Upper West Side and explores the rivalry between two teenage gangs; one white, the other Puerto Rican.

After a hard-fought contest, The Book of Mormon is 2013's BWW:UK Award winner for Best New Musical! Mormon and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory split the bulk of the awards for musical theatre between them - with The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time mirroring its success at this year's Oliviers.

It's still tight at the top of all the BWW:UK 2013 Award categories! Your votes can still make a difference as The Book of Mormon, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Once all battle it out for the musical theatre prizes.

Voting closes on Friday for this year's BWW:UK Awards! The Book Of Mormon, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Once all look set to win for the musicals - and Hadley Fraser may pick up a special double award for his performances in a musical and a play.

The Book of Mormon is leading in many of the New Musical categories - but Once and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is running it close!

Big West End showstoppers Once, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and The Book of Mormon are leading the way, with the competition just as tight for the fringe categories - Chichester's The Pajama Game and Southwark Playhouse's Titanic are also garnering the votes at the moment.

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

The producers of WEST SIDE STORY, playing at Sadler's Wells until 22 September before a nationwide tour, have partnered with the youth charity Leap Confronting Conflict, to run a workshop together for young Londoners exploring the musical's gang and race related conflict issues. Following the success of the workshop, there are now plans to roll out further outreach workshops whilst the musical tours the country during the coming year.

Daniel Evans' crowd-pleasing take on the musical opens in Sheffield

Artistic Director Daniel Evans today unveils Sheffield Theatres' spring season for 2013, which includes two world premieres - Bull, a new play by Mike Bartlett, and This Is My Family, a new musical comedy by Tim Firth; major revivals of D.H. Lawrence's masterpiece The Daughter-in-Law and Alan Bennett's The History Boys, and Sheffield People's Theatre present their second production, 20 Tiny Plays about Sheffield. Full casting for My Fair Lady, the Crucible Christmas musical is also announced today.

Gary Naylor sees political ambition thwarted and theatrical ambition achieved.

The Union Theatre presents The Fix, running now through July 14, directed by Michael Strassen and starring Louis Maskell, Liz May Brice and Miles Western. Get a first look at the production in the exclusive photos below!

Sasha Regan's critically acclaimed all-male IOLANTHE will open at Wilton's Music Hall on Friday 1 April, following previews from 30 March, for a limited season, ending 7 May.

Following the success of Pirates of Penzance last year, Wilton Music Hall will transfer an all-male Iolanthe from The Union Theatre to Wilton's. This production was named one of Time Out's Best of 2010.

Sasha Regan's critically acclaimed all-male IOLANTHE will open at Wilton's Music Hall on Friday 1 April, following previews from 30 March, for a limited season, ending 7 May. Originally staged at the Union Theatre towards the end of last year, this is the second Union Theatre production to transfer to Wilton's, following the success of Pirates of Penzance last year, which won the Best Off-West End Production in the Whatsonstage Awards 2010.

Sasha Regan's critically acclaimed all-male IOLANTHE will open at Wilton's Music Hall on Friday 1 April, following previews from 30 March, for a limited season, ending 7 May.

Following the success of Pirates of Penzance last year, Wilton Music Hall will transfer an all-male Iolanthe from The Union Theatre to Wilton's. This production was named one of Time Out's Best of 2010. Tickets go on sale on the 28th of February.