Nigel Havers News

Qdos Entertainment's production of Cinderella begins previews at the London Palladium this Saturday, 10 December 2016, with press night on Wednesday 14 December 2016. This five-week limited run the over the festive season concludes on Sunday 15 January 2017.

London is never short of theatre temptations, whether splashy West End shows, epic dramas or bold fringe offerings. From a big musical revival to starry panto and Matthew Bourne's latest, here are some of this month's most eye-catching openings. Don't forget to check back for BroadwayWorld's reviews…

Beginning this month, a host of stars from the world of entertainment will light up the stages in twenty four towns and cities around the UK for this year's Qdos Entertainment pantomime season. From Aberdeen to Plymouth, over 60 well-known actors, comedians and entertainers will lead the casts of the nation's favourite pantomimes in theatres across the country including, for the first time in nearly three decades, a return to the capital's London Palladium.

Over the past eleven years family-run pantomime producers, Evolution Productions have built up a reputation for being the UK's number-one creators of bespoke high-quality pantos. The 2016 line up does nothing to disprove this.  The company, which is run by husband and wife team, former TV presenter Paul Hendy and Oxford graduate and former film production manager Emily Wood, will be presenting a festive banquet of seasonal shows across the country from then end of November 2016 to mid-January 2017.  The line up comprises Dick Whttington starring Stephen Mulhern (ITV's Catchphrase, Big Star Little Star) as Billy at The Marlowe in Canterbury, Peter Pan starring Emma Barton (Honey Mitchell - Eastenders) as Tinkerbell and Shaun Williamson(Barry Evans - Eastenders and himself in Extras) at The Hawth in Croydon, Sleeping Beauty at Lichfied Garrick Theatre starring Rebecca Keatley (CBeebies) as Fairy Moonbeam and the great dame himself Sam Rabone as Nurse Nellie, Snow White at The Lyceum Theatre Sheffield starring Wendi Peters (Coronation Street - Cilla Battersby- Brown) and Phil Gallagher(CBeebies - Mister Maker), Snow White at The Alban Arena St Albans starring Rita Simons(Eastenders - Roxy Mitchell) and Ian Kirkby (Dick & Dom In Da Bungalow), Cinderella at Theatre Severn Shrewsbury with panto favourite Brad Pitt and Peter Pan at the Octagon Theatre Yeovill starring supervillain Andrew Fettes as Captain Hook. 

Qdos Entertainment's production of Cinderella will run at the London Palladium for five weeks only over the Festive season from Saturday 10 December 2016 to Sunday 15 January 2017, with press night on Wednesday 14 December 2016. 

Natasha J Barnes who will play the title role of Cinderella, Suzie Chard and Wendy Sommerville who will play The Wicked Stepsisters complete the casting for the London Palladium Pantomime this Christmas. They join the previously announced Paul O'Grady (The Wicked Stepmother), Julian Clary (Dandini), Amanda Holden (The Fairy Godmother), Lee Mead (Prince Charming), Paul Zerdin (Buttons), Nigel Havers (Lord Chamberlain) and Count Arthur Strong (Baron Hardup).

Last night the international hit musical The Bodyguard celebrated Beverley Knight reprising the role of Oscar-nominated superstar Rachel Marron. Knight plays opposite Ben Richards as Frank Farmer, Marron's bodyguard.

Amanda Holden will play The Fairy Godmother in Qdos Entertainment's London Palladiumproduction of Cinderella. Cinderella will run at the London Palladium for five weeks only over the Festive season from Friday 9 December 2016 to Sunday 15 January 2017, with press night on Wednesday 14 December 2016.

BRITAIN'S GOT TALENT judge Amanda Holden has a busy theatre schedule this year. After touring with STEPPING OUT this autumn, the Daily Mail reports she will fly into the London Palladium production of CINDERELLA as the Fairy Godmother, for a five-week run from December 9.

Initial casting is announced today (26 May 2016) for Qdos Entertainment's London Palladium production of Cinderella.  The 32 strong cast will be led byPaul O'Grady as The Wicked Stepmother, Julian Clary as Dandini, Lee Mead as Prince Charming, Paul Zerdin as Buttons, Nigel Havers as Lord Chamberlain and Count Arthur Strong as Baron Hardup.  The roles of Cinderella, the Fairy Godmother and the Ugly Sisters will be announced soon. 

On March 24th 2016 The Hippodrome are excited to be introducing an all new improv Supergroup, featuring the mega-talents of Josie Lawrence (Whose Line Is It Anyway?, Comedy Store Players), Cariad Lloyd (Austentatious), Pippa Evans & Ruth Bratt (Showstopper!).

Originally staged in 1984, The Importance remains the only musical adaptation of Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest to run in London. After a limited run here, the production found a new lease of life in Peterborough two years later under a different title, Born in a Handbag. This recording has been a labour of love with over twenty years in production and is being released by Stage Door Records at the end of this month.

As the curtain falls on the 2015-16 pantomime season, Evolution Productions announce record-breaking figures, demonstrating beyond doubt that the pantomime renaissance has come of age.  With The Marlowe Theatre leading the way with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs playing at 99.06% capacity with the number of tickets sold a stunning 95,685 (nearly double the city's population), box office figures over their seven shows across the country came in at 91% attendance, an increase across the board of 10.3% in financial terms on the previous year.

Ahead of opening night for THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST at the Wyvern Theatre, multi award winning actress Sian Phillips CBE (I Claudius, Dune, The Age of Innocence) reimagined one of the play's most famous lines at the Swindon Designer Outlet. Scroll down for photos!

Oscar Wilde's much-loved masterpiece THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST will visit Coventry's Belgrade Theatre from Tues 29th September to Sat 3rd October as part of a major new U.K tour starring stage and TV favourite Nigel Havers in the role of Algernon Moncrieff.

Coventry's Belgrade Theatre has today announced full details of the shows to feature in its Autumn 2015 Season which include the U.K premiere of Crush, a new musical-comedy by Maureen Chadwick and a new stage adaptation of Iain Seraillier's The Silver Sword.

Full casting has now been announced for The Bunbury Company of Players production of Oscar Wilde's much loved and witty masterpiece THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST, which will embark on a first class regional tour from Autumn this year. The play will be on at the Theatre Royal Glasgow from Tuesday 24 to Saturday 28 November 2015.

An evening to preview the upcoming season for Glasgow King's and Theatre Royal.

Gypsy opened in the West End last night, Tuesday 15 April 2015 at the Savoy Theatre, London. Directed by Jonathan Kent with book by Arthur Laurents, Gypsy has music by Jule Styne, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim suggested by the memoirs of Gypsy Rose Lee, choreography by Stephen Mear, designs by Anthony Ward, musical direction and orchestration by Nicholas Skilbeck, lighting by Mark Henderson and sound by Paul Groothuis.