Peter Darling News

Barry O'Farrell announced today that the Royal Shakespeare Company's production of Matilda The Musical will make its Australian Premiere at Sydney Lyric Theatre in August 2015.

"The new season, our 48th season at the Music Center of Los Angeles," said Ritchie, "will include from Broadway two hit musicals and a celebrated drama - the magical 'Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella,' the mischievous 'Matilda The Musical' and the much beloved Cicely Tyson in Horton Foote's exquisite 'The Trip to Bountiful.'

The West End is getting a new Willy Wonka. Taking over for Olivier and Tony Award-winning actor Douglas Hodge in Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory will be fellow Olivier-winner Alex Jennings, according to the Daily Mail. Directed by Sam Mendes, the production opened at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane on 25 June 2013 and recently extended through May 20, 2015. Hodge's last performance is set for May 17, with Jennings taking over May 19, 2014.

MATILDA THE MUSICAL, produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Dodgers, announced today that a North American Tour will commence in May 2015. After technical rehearsals and performances in New Haven at the Shubert Theater, the tour officially opens at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles and includes the SHN Orpheum Theatre in San Francisco, Seattle's 5th Avenue Theatre and Dallas' AT&T Performing Arts Center among others in the first season. Full touring schedule and casting will be announced at a later date.

Producers of the Tony Award-winning MATILDA THE MUSICAL announced today that Matt Harrington and Christopher Sieber will join the company as Mr. Wormwood and Miss Trunchbull, respectively.

Applications are now open for five 'Golden Ticket' week-long, paid work experience placements on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which will provide five people with a unique insight into the working world of theatre. What's more, at the end of the week, the most promising candidate will be rewarded with a life-changing three-month paid placement as production intern, working alongside some of the most experienced people in the business.

Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory today announced that it is extending its run at Theatre Royal Drury Lane until 20 May 2015. The new booking period will go on sale on 7 February 2014.

Beginning January 2014, auditions for the children's cast of Billy Elliot the Musical will take place countrywide to find young boys and girls to join the internationally acclaimed show which is now in its ninth year at the Victoria Palace Theatre in the West End. 2014 auditions take place on 11 January in Leeds, 1 February in Newcastle, 15 March in London, 26 April in Bristol and 17 May in Manchester.

The Royal Shakespeare Company and The Dodgers today announced that Paige Brady, Gabriella Pizzolo, Ripley Sobo, and Ava Ulloa have joined the Broadway company of MATILDA THE MUSICAL and will begin performances in the title role over the course of the next few weeks.

Today, 9 December 2013, 13 year old Mitchell Tobin from Florida, USA, will become the thirty-sixth boy and the eighth American to play Billy Elliot in the West End, having previously played the title role in the North American touring production. Billy Elliot the Musical is now in its ninth year at the Victoria Palace Theatre where it is currently booking to May 2015. Having now been seen by nearly 9.5 million people worldwide,Billy Elliot the Musical has been the recipient of over 80 major international awards.

The nation's most beloved spectacle, the Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, returns for the 87th year of magic on Thursday, Nov. 28 (9 a.m.-noon) throughout the country on NBC. Check out the wonderful cast of MATILDA performing below!

International music superstar Kylie Minogue strongly endorses MATILDA: THE MUSICAL and recounts her favorable experience attending a recent performance as part of a new blog post.

Milly Shapiro, Bailey Ryon, Oona Laurence and Sophia Gennusa, the Tony-winning leading ladies from Broadway's Matilda The Musical, will depart the production within the next two months. The girls revealed in a recent interview with the Wall Street Journal that they will be leaving to make room for a new crop of girls- the 'Newtildas'.

Regrettably, due to medical circumstances beyond his control, Craig Bierko will not be resuming his role as Miss Trunchbull in the Broadway production of Matilda the Musical. During rehearsals for the role of Agatha Trunchbull, Craig injured his shoulder making it impossible for him to meet all the physical requirements of the part.

On Friday 22 November 2013, 18 year performing arts student Rebecca White from Croydon will join the cast of Elton John and Lee Hall's Billy Elliot the Musical at the Victoria Palace Theatre in the West End. By answering what does it feel like when you are dancing?, the question asked of Billy Elliot in his audition for the Royal Ballet School, Rebecca was chosen from over 1600 competition entries to perform as part of the internationally award-winning show.

Today, 13 November 2013, 11 year old Bradley Perret from Juan les Pins, France will become the thirty-fifth boy to play Billy Elliot in the West End and the first French-born boy to play the title role. Also joining the cast today will be 11 year old, Freddie Butterfield from West Yorkshire, as Billy's best friend Michael. Check out the photos below!

The Lord of the Rings' creative team is developing the touring version of the show, flexible enough to tour across the world while retaining the unique, thrilling and spectacular theatrical magic of the original production. A world tour is set to launch in 2015.

It's still tight at the top of all the BWW:UK 2013 Award categories! Your votes can still make a difference as The Book of Mormon, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Once all battle it out for the musical theatre prizes.

Last week (Monday 28th October to Saturday 2nd November 2013) Roald Dahl's' Charlie and the Chocolate Factory broke the West End record for the highest reported weekly gross sales. Over the course of the nine show week almost 20,000 people saw the musical at Theatre Royal Drury Lane achieving a record value of £1,062,606. This figure also breaks the show's own Drury Lane record set in August 2013. Since the box office opened in October 2012 the show has taken £21million in ticket sales and is now booking through to November 2014.

Voting closes on Friday for this year's BWW:UK Awards! The Book Of Mormon, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Once all look set to win for the musicals - and Hadley Fraser may pick up a special double award for his performances in a musical and a play.