Michael Sheen News

Rose Theatre and Welsh National Theatre have released new production images for Thornton Wilder’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play Our Town, an American classic with universal themes of love, life, and death, staged by a full company of Welsh actors and creative team for the first time in its storied 87-year history.

Comedian, actor and BRIT Awards 2026 host Jack Whitehall is heading back on the road with Bad Influence, his brand-new national arena tour. Hitting arenas across the UK in 2027.

This week’s newsletter brings together stories of accountability, advocacy, and adaptation across the theatre world. We cover artists and organizations responding to public scrutiny, including Lauren Gunderson’s statement following her appearance in the Epstein files and the Washington Post’s elimination of its chief theater critic role. Elsewhere, new initiatives and events push forward, from Broadway Bares gearing up for its next benefit and Katharine Quinn launching a Broadway-focused marketing agency to Broadway showtunes finding new life on the ice. The issue also examines ongoing debates over access, transparency, and infrastructure, from Equity’s dispute with Spotlight in the UK to closed-door discussions about Portland’s Keller Auditorium.

We open this week with Colleen Dilenschneider’s look at the rise of localism and what it means for cultural organizations navigating tighter schedules and higher barriers to participation. On the awards front, key dates are set for the Tonys, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle, alongside a call for nominations for BroadwayWorld’s Stage Recording Awards. Elsewhere, we cover shifts in Broadway opening-night traditions, major benefit events, regional programming pauses, leadership changes, and a significant format change for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child in the West End.

Inside, you’ll find practical guidance for performers, timely conversations about safety, labor, and financial realities on Broadway, and a celebration of the often-unsung artists who keep shows running. We also look beyond New York to regional theaters rethinking their futures, another Kennedy Center cancellation, and an international announcement bringing a popular screen property to the London stage.

Duluth Playhouse Underground will present WHITE RABBIT RED RABBIT, a unique play with no rehearsals and a new actor each night, from February 19 to March 1 at The Lab.

Rose Theatre and Welsh National Theatre have released production photos from Thornton Wilder’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play Our Town. Learn more about the show and check out the photos below!

Rise and shine, BroadwayWorld! It is January 21, 2026 and it's time to catch up on all of the theatrical happenings you may have missed in the last 24 hours.

This week’s newsletter brings together stories of concrete action and forward momentum in theatre and dance. Highlights include Michael Sheen’s launch of a new national theatre for Wales and his starring role in its first production, New York State’s plan to preserve performing arts spaces, and major leadership appointments at Park Avenue Armory and The Public Theater. We also cover recognition for musical theatre creators Will Aronson and Hue Park, the launch of BroadwayWorld’s 2025 Stage Recording Awards, and the Next On Stage Season 6 finale. Rounding out the issue is a look at Dallas Black Dance Theatre’s relaunch and search for new leadership, underscoring themes of rebuilding, investment, and artistic ambition.

All new rehearsal photos have been released for Our Town, starring Michael Sheen as the Stage Manager and directed by Francesca Goodridge. Check out the photos here!

The Sydney Opera House has announced the appointment of Harry Prouse to its artistic leadership team as Head of Contemporary Performance, leading the next chapter of imaginative programming inspired by the best of contemporary culture.

Emmy Award winner Matthew Rhys is set to return to the London stage for the first time in 21 years to play Richard Burton at The Old Vic. Learn more and see how to purchase tickets here!

Rise and shine, BroadwayWorld! It is October 3, 2025 and it's time to catch up on all of the theatrical happenings you may have missed in the last 24 hours.

For the first time in its storied 87-year history, Thornton Wilder's Pulitzer Prize-winning play Our Town, an American classic with universal themes of love, life, and death, will be staged by a full company of Welsh actors and creative team.

Stars of stage and screen will unite to celebrate the publication of a brand new book from the award-winning arts and social justice charity, Cardboard Citizens.

The National Theatre has announced its Autumn programme for schools across the UK, deepening its work with young people to support its continued ambition to reach every child in the UK before they leave school. 

The Delaunay, in partnership with the Royal Theatrical Fund, will host an exclusive evening with acclaimed actor Russell Tovey, as part of its ‘The Delaunay Presents, An Evening With…’ series.

Following a sold-out West End season, Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith are taking the critically acclaimed Inside No.9 Stage / Fright to theatres around the UK this autumn, with the tour arriving in Milton Keynes Theatre from Tue 9 – Sat 13 Sep.

In what feels like something of a Blue Peter moment, here comes a play which the departing Rufus Norris made earlier last year. 

Rise and shine, BroadwayWorld! It is July 11, 2025 and it's time to catch up on all of the theatrical happenings you may have missed in the last 24 hours.