Menier Chocolate Factory News

Trevor Nunn directs a cast led by Natascha McElhone as Alex Forrest with Mark Bazeley as Dan Gallagher and Kristin Davis as his wife Beth, in the world stage premiere of Fatal Attraction written by James Dearden, opening at the Theatre Royal Haymarket on 25 March 2014, with previews from 11 March.

Sinead Cusack and Clare Higgins are to play sisters Polly Wyeth and Silda Grauman respectively, in The Old Vic's UK premiere of Jon Robin Baitz's acclaimed play, Other Desert Cities, directed by Lindsay Posner. Further casting will be announced shortly.

Gerard Alessandrini's Forbidden Broadway returned to New York in February at the newly refurbished Davenport Theatre (354 W. 45th Street, Between 8th and 9th Avenues) with Forbidden Broadway: Alive and STILL Kicking. As BroadwayWorld previously reported, over the course of the spring, Alessandrini had planned on adding new material to reflect the season's openings. Now, the time as come to unveil the new edition, FORBIDDEN BROADWAY COMES OUT SWINGING! According to The New York Times, this version will begin performances March 17.

Best known for his recurring role as DI Mike Burden in The Ruth Rendell Mysteries, accomplished stage, TV and film actor Christopher Ravenscroft teams up with Rhiannon Sommers, acclaimed for her portrayal of Mary Shelley in Bloody Poetry at Jermyn Street Theatre in 2012, for the first ever revival of Arthur Wing Pinero's The Notorious Mrs Ebbsmith.

Barry James, Josefina Gabrielle, Richard Dempsey and Kirsty Malpass will join the previously announced Alex Jennings (Willy Wonka) in the cast of the record-breaking West End production of Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Five years after Simon Gray's death, Hampstead Theatre is delighted to present this extraordinary cycle of his work: premieres of three unperformed plays alongside a revival of Japes, the play that started it all off. The plays will be performed in repertory over 9 weeks, featuring four stories based on the same characters, in the same situation but all telling a different story with opposite conclusions.

Tracie Bennett, Michael Matus, Katie Rowley Jones and Gareth Snook complete the all-star cast for West End Recast.

The cast has been announced for Simon Stephens' new play Birdland at the Royal Court Theatre in London (3 April to 31 May - press night 9 April), which looks at fame, money and an out-of-control front man. The full cast is Nikki Amuka-Bird, Daniel Cerqueira, Yolanda Kettle, Alex Price, Charlotte Randle and Andrew Scott.

Harry Burton will direct a new production of I Found My Horn, a play by Jasper Rees and Jonathan Guy Lewis, at the Trafalgar Studios (Studio 2) from 1 April - 3rd May, with the press night on Wednesday 2 April, 7pm.

Over 12 years after it was seen in the West End, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Ben Elton's The Beautiful Game will receive its first London revival at the Union Theatre from Wednesday 3 April (press night Tuesday 8 April, 7.30pm) to Saturday 3 May 2014, it was announced today. On sale now.

Mark Arden as Fred, Ryan Molloy as Horace, Stefan Booth as Tosher, Christopher Ryan as Red Hot, Vivian Carter as Myrtle, Stevie Hutchinson as Ted/PC 2, John Olohan as Paddy, Gary Watson as Norman/PC 1 andJoanna Woodward as Margaret join the previously announced BAFTA nominated Jessie Wallace (EastEnders) as Lil, Gary Kemp (The Krays/ The Bodyguard/Spandau Ballet) as PC Collins, Sarah Middleton as Rosie, Ruth Alfie Adams as Brenda, Will Barton as Percy and Suzie Chard as Betty to complete the cast of Fings Ain't Wot They Used T'Be.

After a 10-month hiatus, Gerard Alessandrini's FORBIDDEN BROADWAY, one of NYC's best-loved and highly anticipated productions, happily returns to New York, beginning tonight, February 22nd at 8PM at the newly refurbished Davenport Theatre (354 W. 45th Street, Between 8th and 9th Avenues) with FORBIDDEN BROADWAY; Alive and STILL Kicking, featuring brand new takes on the shows that opened in Forbidden Broadway's absence: Pippin, Kinky Boots, Matilda and Motown along with highlights from last season's acclaimed and very popular edition: Once, Evita, Newsies, Book of Mormon, among others. Over the course of the spring, Alessandrini will continue to add new material to reflect the season's openings, and unveil the new edition around the time of the Tony Awards.

Jamie Lloyd is directing the UK premiere of URINETOWN The Musical, with music and lyrics by Mark Hollmann and book and lyrics by Greg Kotis. The musical runs at the St James Theatre from tonight, 22 February until 3 May 2014, with opening night on 11 March 2014.

Leigh Zimmerman will join the cast of Theatre Royal Bath Productions' Relative Values as it transfers to the Harold Pinter Theatre, Wednesday 19th March to Saturday 21st June 2014, in the role of Miranda Frayle. Leigh is known all over the world for her leading roles on stage, in the West End and on Broadway, and in TV and film. Most recently she won the 2013 Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical for her performance as Sheila in A Chorus Line (Palladium) and appeared with Domenick Allen in A Love Affair from A2Z (St. James Theatre).

After a 10-month hiatus, Gerard Alessandrini's FORBIDDEN BROADWAY, one of NYC's best-loved and highly anticipated productions, happily returns to New York, beginning February 22nd at 8PM at the newly refurbished Davenport Theatre (354 W. 45th Street, Between 8th and 9th Avenues) with FORBIDDEN BROADWAY; Alive and STILL Kicking, featuring brand new takes on the shows that opened in Forbidden Broadway's absence: Pippin, Kinky Boots, Matilda and Motown along with highlights from last season's acclaimed and very popular edition: Once, Evita, Newsies, Book of Mormon, among others. Over the course of the spring, Alessandrini will continue to add new material to reflect the season's openings, and unveil the new edition around the time of the Tony Awards.

West End and Musical theatre star Warren Sollars (Mamma Mia!, From Here To Eternity) will lead the cast of the musical 20th Century Boy, playing the Glam Rock legend Marc Bolan. He will be joined by TV stars Sue Jenkins (Brookside, Coronation Street) and Luke Bailey (Waterloo Road, Casualty).

Regent's Park Open Air Theatre has confirmed lead casting for Hobson's Choice and the Gershwins' Porgy and Bess. Mark Benton will play Henry Hobson in Hobson's Choice, with Jodie McNee as his daughter Maggie. Rufus Bonds Jr and Nicola Hughes play the title roles in Porgy and Bess with Phillip Boykin re-creating his Tony Award nominated performance as Crown, and Sharon D Clarke as Mariah.

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts presents An Evening with Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin tonight, February 18 to the 23rd, 2014 in the Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater.

FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY, some of our finest West End musical theatre stars will be performing songs from roles they have always wanted to sing but will NEVER be cast in.

Peter Polycarpou, Gary Wilmot and Colin Stinton join the cast of the West End transfer of Chichester Festival Theatre's sparkling production of the Broadway smash hit musical, The Pajama Game, directed by Richard Eyre. Peter Polycarpou and Colin Stinton reprise their roles as Vernon Hines and Hasler, with Gary Wilmot taking over the role of Vernon Hines from 2 June. They join the previously announced Joanna Riding and Michael Xavier. The Pajama Game opens at the Shaftesbury Theatre on 13 May, with previews from 2 May, playing until 13 September 2014.