Menier Chocolate Factory News

Baz Bamigboye of the Daily Mail has reported that the murderous musical hit, Chicago, will return to London's West End!

CELEBRATION THEATRE presents as part of its New Works Reading Series, FOUR PLAY by Jake Brunger, directed by Brooke Seguin and performing one night only on Tuesday, February 20 at 7:30pm at The Coast Playhouse, 8325 Santa Monica Blvd. in West Hollywood.

Once upon a time in 1955, a magical kingdom was built on the founding principles of dreams, American idealism, and our wildest hopes. Eight years later, a quintessential American family reeling from the loss of their King embarks on a quest for restoration and deliverance in this kingdom. 50 years later, their expedition is brought to dazzling life in an effort to understand one's place in family, the American way, and whether happiness is truly a place where dreams come true.

International theatre and TV star John Barrowman MBE returns to perform in London in Seth Rudetsky's Broadway @ Leicester Square Theatre concert series for 3 intimate performances produced by Mark Cortale, on April 13 & 14. John Barrowman is best know in the U.S. for his role of Malcolm Merlyn (aka The Dark Archer) in the hit TV series "Arrow" based on the Green Arrow comic books, and in the UK as Captain Jack Harkness, in "Dr Who" and "Torchwood." Seth Rudetsky most recently starred in London in a charity gala of his Broadway musical "Disaster!" in 2016 at Charing Cross Theatre. Broadway @ Leicester Square Theatre began in 2013 with Patti LuPone and returned with Audra McDonald and Will Swenson last year.

The Old Globe today announced that its 2018-2019 Season will kick off with the world premiere of the new musical Heart of Rock and Roll, inspired by the songs of Huey Lewis and the News, featuring a book by Jonathan Abrams and story by Tyler Mitchell and Jonathan Abrams. It will be directed by Gordon Greenberg with choreography by Lorin Latarro and music supervision, arrangements, and orchestrations by Brian Usifer. Heart of Rock and Roll will bepresented by special arrangement with Tyler Mitchell, W. Leo Kiely, Bill Kiely, Whitney Kiely Moehle, and Tamar Climan. Mr. Lewis released a brief video to Rolling Stone about the show (with a surprise guest cameo)-click here to see for yourself!

Ida's family is throwing her a birthday tea for her eighty-sixth birthday. Their efforts to be cheerful and make the event a success verge on the desperate. Ida is racked with pain and feels she has lived too long. As the painfully laboured celebrations go on, her third daughter Susan returns unexpectedly after an absence of 25 years. Tensions immediately flare between the sisters, whilst Ida struggles to recognise her.

Lucky students at the Musical Theatre Masterclass (MTM) academy in London will be taught this term by star masterclass guests including Sir Matthew Bourne, it was announced today.

International theatre and TV star John Barrowman MBE returns to perform in London in Seth Rudetsky's Broadway @ Leicester Square Theatre concert series for 3 intimate performances produced by Mark Cortale.

The Fabulous Fox Theatre is delighted to announce that the first U.S. National tour of the hit musical THE COLOR PURPLE, will play the Fabulous Fox Theatre from Tuesday, March 20 through Sunday, April 1.

Theatr Clwyd and the National Theatre today announce star of Welsh crime drama Hinterland, Richard Harrington will join the previously announced Katherine Parkinson in the world premiere production of Laura Wade's Home, I'm Darling. Making her National Theatre debut, Tamara Harvey, Artistic Director of Theatr Clwyd, will direct this first-time co-production which opens in the Emlyn Williams Theatre on the 3 July with previews from the 25 June ahead of transferring to the Dorfman Theatre in July.

The Barrow Group Theatre Company (Seth Barrish and Lee Brock, Co-Artistic Directors; Robert Serrell, Executive Director), recipient of a Drama Desk and Lucille Lortel Award, concludes their 2017-2018 season with the New York revival of A Walk in the Woods, a play by Lee Blessing. Directed by Donna Jean (DJ) Fogel, the two-member cast features K. Lorrel Manning as John Honeyman, an American negotiator and Martin Van Treuren as Andrey Botvinnik, a career Russian diplomat.

Casting has been confirmed for the first ever UK & Ireland Tour of Titanic The Musical. Directed by returning director Thom Southerland, 25 actors from across the country will take the production on its maiden UK and Ireland tour, to visit the cities and communities whose forebears built, manned and sailed on the famous ship.

The Menier Chocolate Factory, in association with Darren Bagert, today announces that Samuel Barnett (Molina) and Declan Bennett (Valentin) join the company of their new production of Manuel Puig's ground-breaking novel Kiss of the Spider Woman in a new adaptation by Jose Rivera and Allan Baker. Laurie Sansom directs this iconic play, making his Menier debut. The production opens on 21 March, with previews from 8 March, and runs until 5 May.

Jason Gardiner, Lara Denning, Kim Maresca, Harriet Thorpe and Tracie Bennett join the company of Joel Paley and Marvin Laird's award-winning all female character camp killer cult classic Ruthless! The Musical for its strictly limited 14 week run at the Arts Theatre. The children alternating the role of Tina Denmark will be announced shortly.

Dropping its audience of just 50 a show into the middle of an adventure in which they are trained in the art of the con, participants will meet characters, solve clues and get a masterclass in the ways of the grifter, all in the interest pulling off one final swindle to take down a seamy criminal mastermind. They will have their intelligence tested and get trained in scams like The Pig In The Poke, The Round-The Corner, and The Money Swap…but in the end will they be sharp enough to take down an evil genius at his own game? An experience unlike anything ever performed on a stage, The Grift will sweep its audience into a thrilling adventure, turning everyday theatergoers into master con men. And when the show ends? They'll be released back into the world with a whole new skill set-one that can pay off for years to come.

It was only a few months ago when Florian Zeller's comedy The Lie received its English language world premiere at the Menier Chocolate Factory in London, and once again Beit Lessin Theatre brings such new and recent material to Israel, with no other than Lior Ashkenazi as the director.

Casting is announced today for James Graham's 'sparkling new play', Quiz, which transfers to the No l Coward Theatre. Following the success of Ink and Labour of Love, Quiz completes a hat-trick of productions in the West End for Graham in less than a year. Artistic Director of Chichester Festival Theatre, Daniel Evans, directs Keir Charles, Greg Haiste, Mark Meadows, Henry Pettigrew, Gavin Spokes, Stephanie Street, Jay Villiers, Lizzie Winkler and Sarah Woodward who reprise their roles from the run at Chichester Festival Theatre. They are joined by Sharon Ballard.

BWW reviewer Natalie O'Donoghue shares her list of closed West End shows that she thinks should be revived with a UK tour.

Part theatre and part game, The Grift is an immersive, site-specific experience that will get its UK premi re staged in the historic Town Hall Hotel in London's Bethnal Green.

The Menier Chocolate Factory, in association with Darren Bagert, today announces a major new production of Manuel Puig's ground-breaking novel Kiss of the Spider Woman by Jos Rivera and Allan Baker. Laurie Sansom directs this iconic play, making his Menier debut. The production opens on 21 March, with previews from 8 March, and runs until 5 May.