Myra Sands News

Peep behind the scenes at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane where the cast of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory are getting ready for another show before this week's opening night!

Check out a first look at production shots below!

Douglas Hodge stars as Willy Wonka in the brand-new production of CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY - now in previews at Theatre Royal Drury Lane. Directed by Academy Award winner Sam Mendes, the story is brought to life with music by Marc Shaiman and lyrics by Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman (Grammy winners for Hairspray; Smash), with a book by award-winning playwright and adaptor David Greig (The Bacchae; Tintin In Tibet).

Here are the first shots of Douglas Hodge as Willy Wonka in the brand-new production of CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY - now in previews at Theatre Royal Drury Lane!

CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY, the highly anticipated West End musical starring Olivier and Tony Award winner Douglas Hodge as Willy Wonka, began May 22, 2013. Watch as the very first audiences share their reactions to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, now in previews until 24 June at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane.

CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY, the highly anticipated West End musical starring Olivier and Tony Award winner Douglas Hodge as Willy Wonka, begins tonight, May 22, 2013. Opening night is set for June 25.

CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY, the highly anticipated West End musical starring Olivier and Tony Award winner Douglas Hodge as Willy Wonka, has been postponed. The first two previews - scheduled for May 17 and 18, respectively - have been cancelled and performances will now begin May 22 instead of May 23.

As BroadwayWorld reported last week, Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory will begin previews on May 17 instead of May 18 at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. Opening night is still set for June 25. Directed by Academy Award winner Sam Mendes, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory will star Olivier and Tony Award-winning Douglas Hodge as Willy Wonka. Featuring ingenious stagecraft, the story is brought to life with music by Marc Shaiman and lyrics by Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman (Grammy winners for Hairspray; Smash), with a book by award-winning playwright and adaptor David Greig (The Bacchae; Tintin In Tibet). Check out a just-released promo for the show below!

According to the Daily Mail, Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory will begin previews on May 17 instead of May 18 at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. Opening night is still set for June 25. Directed by Academy Award winner Sam Mendes, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory will star Olivier and Tony Award-winning Douglas Hodge as Willy Wonka. Featuring ingenious stagecraft, the story is brought to life with music by Marc Shaiman and lyrics by Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman (Grammy winners for Hairspray; Smash), with a book by award-winning playwright and adaptor David Greig (The Bacchae; Tintin In Tibet).

La actriz madrileña Mireia Mambo Bokele (High School Musical, Ragtime, A Midnight Summer Dream) sera uno de los miembros del nuevo musical 'Charlie And The Chocolate Factory' que se estrenare el proximo 25 de junio en el Drury Lane Theatre de Londres, con previas desde el 18 de mayo.

Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory opens at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane on 25 June 2013. Directed by Academy Award winner Sam Mendes, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory will star Olivier and Tony Award-winning Douglas Hodge as Willy Wonka. Featuring ingenious stagecraft, the story is brought to life with music by Marc Shaiman and lyrics by Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman (Grammy winners for Hairspray; Smash), with a book by award-winning playwright and adaptor David Greig (The Bacchae; Tintin In Tibet). Click below to watch the show's creative team talk about the writing process!

Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures, Neal Street Productions and Kevin McCormick's production of Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory opens at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane on 25th June 2013, directed by Sam Mendes. In the videos below, Mendes introduces the show and takes you inside the set design for this whimsical production!

Evergreen Theatrical Productions Ltd in Association with Jermyn Street Theatre presents Ivor Novello's GAY'S THE WORD, a musical comedy, featuring Book and Music by Ivor Novello with Lyrics by Alan Melville. The production is presented by special permission of Samuel French Ltd for the Ivor Novello Trustees. Directed and choreographed by Stewart Nicholls, the show features book adapted by Richard Stirling, musical supervisor Ross Leadbeater, original musical direction by Ben Stock and stars Sophie-Louise Dann, Helena Blackman, Josh Little and Elizabeth Seal. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast onstage in the photos below!

Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures, Neal Street Productions and Kevin McCormick today announced further casting for Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which opens at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane on 25th June 2013, directed by Sam Mendes.

As reported by the Daily Mail, Nigel Planer and Myra Sands will play Grandpa Joe and Grandma Georgina in the West End's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, joining leading man Douglas Hodge as Willy Wonka. Previews begin May 18 at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, leading up to a June 25 opening.

The Finborough Theatre's 'Celebrating British Music Theatre' series follows Perchance to Dream with Ivor Novello's last musical.

The Finborough Theatre's 'Celebrating British Music Theatre' series follows Perchance to Dream with Ivor Novello's last musical.

Kurt Weill's Johnny Johnson gets its UK premiere at Sadler's Wells - but why here and why now? Our correspondent finds out

Oliver took in £3 million more than Dirty Dancing did in 2006, a stunning feat in these tough economic times. The production now has sound clips from its upcoming cast album available on the official Oliver! website. You can find them by going here!

Sir Cameron Mackintosh's spectacular ?4.5 million revival of Oliver! is already the fastest selling on record, with ?15 million in advance ticket sales before it even opened on January 14th at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. Oliver took in ?3 million more than Dirty Dancing did in 2006, a stunning feat in these tough economic times. Robert Goold (Best Director, 2008 Olivier Awards) directs this production of Oliver!, which is based on Sam Mendes' triumphant 1994 staging, along with Tony award winning co-director and choreographer Matthew Bourne. Production design is by Anthony Ward; lighting design by Paule Constable and sound is by Paul Groothuis, with orchestrations by William D Brohn and musical supervision by Martin Koch. Cameron Mackintosh presents Rowan Atkinson as 'Fagin' in Lionel Bart's musical masterpiece 'OLIVER!' at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane.