Menier Chocolate Factory News

Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Beth Henley's 100-proof comedy THE MISS FIRECRACKER CONTEST, starring film and television actress Amber Tamblyn and directed by Tony Award winner Judith Ivey, will bow on Broadway in the spring of 2013. THE MISS FIRECRACKER CONTEST marks Ms. Tamblyn's Broadway debut and Ms. Ivey's Broadway debut as director, and is produced by HOP Theatricals. Broadway theater and dates to be announced.

Lindsay Posner returns to the Almeida to direct Rebecca Lenkiewicz' new stage adaptation of Henry James' The Turn of the Screw from 18 January - 16 March 2013, with press night on 24 January. The cast comprises Caroline Bartleet (a woman), Laurence Belcher (Miles), Eoin Geoghegan (a man), Gemma Jones (Mrs. Grose), Anna Madeley (The Governess), Orlando Wells (Sackville) and Isabella Blake, Emilia Jones and Lucy Morton who will alternate the role of Flora. The Turn of the Screw is sponsored by Pinsent Masons LLP.

Trevor Nunn will direct the Old Vic and Chichester Festival Theatre's production of KISS ME, KATE, with Music and lyrics by Cole Porter and Book by Sam and Bella Spewack, which is scheduled for London performances from tonight, the 20th of November and a Chichester premiere in June.

Following its triumphant and universally acclaimed run at The Old Vic and then at the Novello Theatre in the West End, Michael Frayn's multi award-winning backstage comedy Noises Off will tour theatres across the UK from 27 March 2013.

Tamsin Greig and Roger Lloyd Pack will appear in The Trojan Women as Athena and Poseiden in a pre-recorded film that forms part of the production.

The world premiere of Anya Reiss's adaptation of Chekhov's The Seagull, directed by Russell Bolam and starring Matthew Kelly, opens at the Main House, Southwark Playhouse, for a four week run on 12 November with previews from tonight, 8 November, 2012.

This autumn Ken Stott, Anna Friel and Samuel West are united together on stage for the first time in one of Anton Chekhov's undisputed masterpieces, Uncle Vanya. Adapted by Christopher Hampton, Uncle Vanya uniquely blends sparkling wit and earthy humour to brilliant comic effect. Directed by Lindsay Posner with designs by Christopher Oram, this new production opens at the Vaudeville Theatre on 2 November 2012 with previews from 24 October.

The creative team behind the recent acclaimed Southwark Playhouse musicals, Parade and Mack & Mabel, are returning to the Vault to present the Broadway musical comedy, Victor/Victoria. Directed by Thom Southerland and produced by Danielle Tarento, it is currently running at The Vault at Southwark Playhouse through Saturday December 15.

Maureen Lipman and Tracy-Ann Oberman as mother and daughter are joined by Nadia Clifford, Geoffrey Freshwater, Eve Pearce and Timothy Watson in this comedy of personal discovery.

The creative team behind the recent acclaimed Southwark Playhouse musicals, Parade and Mack & Mabel, are returning to the Vault to present the Broadway musical comedy, Victor/Victoria. Directed by Thom Southerland and produced by Danielle Tarento, it will run for an 8-week season in The Vault at Southwark Playhouse, now through Saturday, December 15. Check out new photos of the cast onstage below!

Lindsay Posner returns to the Almeida to direct Rebecca Lenkiewicz' new stage adaptation of Henry James' The Turn of the Screw from 18 January - 16 March 2013, with press night on 24 January. Designs are by Peter McKintosh with lighting by Tim Mitchell and sound by John Leonard. Casting for The Turn of the Screw will be announced shortly. The Turn of the Screw is presented in Association with Act Productions Limited, Sonia Friedman Productions and Hammer Theatre of Horror.

It was confirmed today that the new musical version of classic novel From Here to Eternity will open at the Shaftesbury Theatre in autumn 2013 after the run of Burn The Floor. It will preview from September 30th and press night will be 23rd October 2013.

This autumn Ken Stott, Anna Friel and Samuel West are united together on stage for the first time in one of Anton Chekhov's undisputed masterpieces, Uncle Vanya. Adapted by Christopher Hampton, Uncle Vanya uniquely blends sparkling wit and earthy humour to brilliant comic effect. Directed by Lindsay Posner with designs by Christopher Oram, this new production opens at the Vaudeville Theatre on 2 November 2012 with previews from tonight, 24 October.

The creative team behind the recent acclaimed Southwark Playhouse musicals, Parade and Mack & Mabel, are returning to the Vault to present the Broadway musical comedy, Victor/Victoria. Directed by Thom Southerland and produced by Danielle Tarento, it will run for an 8-week season in The Vault at Southwark Playhouse, from Thursday October 25 - Saturday December 15. Get a first look at Anna Francolini as Victor/Victoria below!

Due to overwhelming popular demand, the producers of Gerard Alessandrini's brand- new FORBIDDEN BROADWAY: ALIVE AND KICKING have announced the show will be extending its run at the 47th Street Theatre (304 West 47th Street - just west of Eighth Avenue) through April 28th, 2013. The production is co-directed by Phillip George. FORBIDDEN BROADWAY: ALIVE AND KICKING opened on September 6th after a three-year absence from New York.

A successful actress visits her brother's isolated estate far from the city, throwing the frustrated residents unfulfilled ambitions into sharp relief. As her son attempts to impress with a self-penned play, putting much more than his pride at stake, others dream of fame, love and the ability to change their past.

According to The Washington Post, Molly Smith, artistic director of Arena Stage has signed on to direct a production of Eric Coble's THE VELOCITY OF AUTUMN on Broadway in the Spring of 2013, a production that'll mark Broadway debuts for both. Lead producer Larry Kaye has said that signed on to star will be Estelle Parsons and Stephen Spinella.

Simon Chandler (Bernard/Terence), Rachel Finnegan (Halina/Betty/Margaret), Natasha Gordon (Connie), Ryan Kiggell (Charles), Ferdinand Kingsley (Casmir/Henry), Charlotte Lucas (Ellen), and Eugene O'Hare (Pierre) join Adrian Lester (Ira Aldridge) to complete the cast for Red Velvet. Written by Lolita Chakrabarti, and directed by theTricycle's Artistic Director, Indhu Rubasingham, Red Velvet runs from tonight, 11 October - 24 November, with press night on 16 October. Check out photos of the cast and creative team in rehearsal below!

According to the New York Daily News, Tony and Emmy award winner Andrea Martin will play 'Berthe' in Diane Paulus' revival of the Stephen Schwartz musical Pippin, running Dec. 5-Jan. 20 at Cambridge's American Repertory Theater, with hopes of heading to Broadway.

Written from his own experience, Jonathan Lewis's Our Boys is a wonderfully funny yet searingly honest account of the tribulations, tedium and terror that young soldiers face when recovering from injuries incurred in the line of duty. It opens for a limited 12-week season at the Duchess Theatre tonight, 3 October. The cast features Arthur Darvill (Rory in Doctor Who) and Laurence Fox (James in Lewis).