Old Vic News

Asian and... today announced Right Here, Write Now, an evening of readings that will take place at Cherry Lane Theatre on May 15th, Tuesday, at 8pm.

As Chichester Festival Theatre celebrates 50 years of internationally renowned work, Festival 2012 looks to the future with Theatre on the Fly, a temporary new space for the next generation of theatre-makers and theatre-goers.

As previously announced for STEP 9 (OF 12), joining Blake Harrison in his West End debut as Keith will be Wendy Nottingham, Barry McCarthy and Benjamin Dilloway. The show opens at Trafalgar Studios in a new production directed by Tom Attenborough. The four-week run begins tonight, May 4, 2012 at 7.00pm.

Aurora Theatre ends its season with The Fox on the Fairway opening tonight, May 3, 2012. The play is written by Ken Ludwig (Lend Me a Tenor, Moon Over Buffalo) who 'hits a hole-in-one with his tribute to the great English farces of the 1930s and 1940s. Love and money are in the rough at the Quail Valley Country Club. Two rival country club owners waggle around mistaken identities and play through over-the-top romantic shenanigans in order to stay on the fairway and ace a happy ending. This uproarious golf comedy promises to hit the sweet spot.'

Universal Pictures Stage Productions, Working Title Films Old Vic Productions and NETworks Presentations, LLC bring the multi-award-winning Billy Elliot the Musical to Milwaukee from July 17-22. Based on the international smash-hit film and featuring music by Elton John, book and lyrics by Lee Hall, choreography by Peter Darling and direction by Stephen Daldry, Billy Elliot the Musical has earned critical acclaim around the world and was the winner of ten 2009 Tony Awards including Best Musical.

Thea Sharrock is to direct The Bodyguard, a new musical opening at the Adelphi Theatre in Autumn 2012 based on the Warner Bros. film of the same name with screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan. Starring Heather Headley as Rachel Marron and Lloyd Owen as Frank Farmer in the roles made famous on film by the late Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner, tickets for The Bodyguard go on sale today (1 May 2012) taking bookings until 27 April 2013 for the production's first booking period. Previews begin on 6 November 2012, twenty years after the release of the Oscar nominated film. Opening night is 5 December.

Second Stage Theatre (Carole Rothman, Artistic Director) kicks off the 10th anniversary of its Uptown Series with the world premiere of The Bad Guys, written by Alena Smith and directed by Hal Brooks. The Bad Guys will feature Michael Braun (War Horse), Roe Hartrampf (Unnatural Acts), James McMenamin (Suicide, Incorporated), Tobias Segal (The Miracle Worker) and Raviv Ullman (Russian Transport). Previews begin on May 22nd and opening night is Monday, June 4th.

Rehearsals begin today, 30th April, for Harvey Fierstein's acclaimed Torch Song Trilogy. The production will be directed by Douglas Hodge and will play at the Menier Chocolate Factory 30 May - 12 August. Full casting is confirmed as follows: David Bedella will be playing Arnold Beckoff, Joe McFadden will be playing Ed, Sara Kestelman will be playing Mrs Beckoff, Tom Harries will be playing Alan, Perry Millward will be playing David and Laura Pyper will be playing Laurel.

The Finborough Theatre presents the first UK production in nearly 40 years of Trevor Griffiths' All Good Men, last seen at the Young Vic in a production by the National Theatre in 1975, and opening at the Finborough Theatre for a limited run of eight Sunday and Monday evening performances tonight, 29 April 2012.

A festival of devised work centering on the theme of politics from across the southeastern United States and beyond, June 28 - July 8, 2012 at Burning Coal Theatre Company's Murphey School Auditorium, 224 Polk Street, Raleigh, North Carolina. All tickets to all performances $5. No reservations necessary. For further information, call 919-834-4001 or visit us online at www.burningcoal.org. A complete listing of performances and events will be forthcoming.

From 9th May Neal Foster and Alison Fitzjohn will take over the roles of Rex and Queenie in HORRIBLE HISTORIES - BARMY BRITAIN at the Garrick Theatre.

From 26 July - 12 August 2012, the Criterion Theatre will present Playing The Games, a programme of work which will celebrate both artistic and sporting talent featuring emerging and established actors, comedians, musicians, playwrights and Olympians.

The Old Vic will bring the critically acclaimed Sheffield Theatres' production of Michael Frayn's cold-war drama Democracy to London with previews from 15 June and press night on 20 June. Associate Director of Sheffield Theatres Paul Miller directs.

The Telegraph reports that Tony Award winner Mark Rylance will perform at the opening ceremony for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

Shakespeare at the Tobacco Factory (SATTF) is delighted to present its highly acclaimed production of The Cherry Orchard, Chekhov's final work, at the Rose Theatre Kingston, for one week from, Tuesday May 15th to Saturday May 19th.

Theatre Royal Bath Productions and Chocolate Factory Productions are have announced the transfer of Mike Leigh's Abigail's Party to Wyndham's Theatre from Tuesday, 15th May.

Oscar and Tony Award winning actor and arts advocate Kevin Spacey will receive the Helen Hayes Tribute at the 28th Helen Hayes Awards ceremony tonight, April 23, 2012.

Simon Callow has brought his highly acclaimed show BEING SHAKESPEARE to the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre at the Broadway Playhouse for a limited engagement through April 29, 2012. Performances began April, 18 2012. The Chicago engagement follows productions at BAM in New York and Trafalgar Studios 1 in London. Click below to watch Callow in action!