Joining Helen Mirren who plays The Queen in the world premiere of Peter Morgan's The Audience are Michael Elwyn as Anthony Eden, Haydn Gwynne as Margaret Thatcher, Richard McCabe as Harold Wilson, Nathaniel Parker as Gordon Brown, Paul Ritter as John Major, Rufus Wright as David Cameron and Edward Fox as Winston Churchill. The Equerry is Geoffrey Beevers and the role of Young Elizabeth is played by Bebe Cave, Maya Gerber and Nell Williams. David Peart plays James Callaghan who is joined by ensemble members Jonathan Coote, Ian Houghton and Charlotte Moore. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the production below.
The producers of The Audience today announced Robert Hardy's decision to withdraw from the production. Hardy, 87, recently suffered a fall and cracked some ribs, yet continued to perform at all of the preview performances last week. Over the weekend he has decided that a schedule of eight performances a week over a long run is not sustainable and he has therefore reluctantly decided to stand down. The Producers would like to thank Robert Hardy for his extraordinary contribution to the production and they wish him a speedy recovery.
Internationally acclaimed actress Helen Mirren's performance as The Queen in the world premiere of Peter Morgan's THE AUDIENCE, directed by Stephen Daldry, will be seen by cinema audiences worldwide when National Theatre Live broadcasts the play live from London's Gielgud Theatre on June 13, 2013, with varying dates internationally and encore screenings throughout the summer. THE AUDIENCE reunites Mirren and Morgan after collaborating on the 2006 film The Queen, in which Mirren also portrayed Elizabeth II, winning the Academy, Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and BAFTA Awards for Best Actress for her performance.
According to the Daily Mail, The Audience, which just began performances in the West End starring Helen Mirren, will be filmed and broadcast live from the Gielgud Theatre for National Theatre Live on June 13, 2013. The production has already brought in nearly £4 million in ticket sales before its opening on March 5. The play is running through June 15.
Joining Helen Mirren as The Queen in the world premiere of THE AUDIENCE are Michael Elwyn as Anthony Eden, Haydn Gwynne as Margaret Thatcher, Robert Hardy as Winston Churchill, Richard McCabe as Harold Wilson, Nathaniel Parker as Gordon Brown, Paul Ritter as John Major and Rufus Wright as David Cameron. The Equerry is Geoffrey Beevers and the role of Young Elizabeth will be played by Bebe Cave, Maya Gerber and Nell Williams.
Joining Helen Mirren as The Queen in this world premiere are Michael Elwyn as Anthony Eden, Haydn Gwynne as Margaret Thatcher, Robert Hardy as Winston Churchill, Richard McCabe as Harold Wilson, Nathaniel Parker as Gordon Brown, Paul Ritter as John Major and Rufus Wright as David Cameron. The Equerry is Geoffrey Beevers and the role of Young Elizabeth will be played by Bebe Cave, Maya Gerber and Nell Williams.
The Audience will preview at the Gielgud Theatre from 15 February 2013, with press night on 5 March 2013 and is currently booking to 15 June 2013. Designs are by Bob Crowley with lighting by Rick Fisher, sound by Paul Arditti, music by Paul Englishby and video by Ian William Galloway. BroadwayWorld has a sneak peek at rehearsals below.
According to the Daily Mail, Helen Mirren has begun rehearsals for Peter Morgan's The Audience, about Elizabeth II. The play has already drawn a box office advance of £2 million, but regardless of popularity, The Audience must end its engagement on June 15 due to the Chichester Festival Theatre production of Private Lives, set to begin at the Gielgud Theatre on June 22.
RSC Artistic Director, Gregory Doran, and Executive Director, Catherine Mallyon, make their first announcement as leaders of the RSC, outlining plans for the Company's Winter 2013 season and their ambitions for the Company. The Winter Season is the first drawn up by Gregory, following a summer of shows programmed by his predecessor, Michael Boyd.
Two further preview matinee performances (16 and 27 February 2013 at 2.30pm) have been scheduled for Stephen Daldry's production of Peter Morgan's The Audience.
Principal casting has now been announced for the third UK tour of Jonathan Lynn and Antony Jay's hit stage version ofYes, Prime Minister. Michael Fenton Stevens (recognisable as Sir Henry in ITV's Benidorm) will take on the role of beleaguered PM Jim Hacker, while opposite him Crispin Redman (known as Judge Richards in Law & Order: UK) will play Sir Humphrey Appleby and West End star Michael Matus (Taboo, Lend Me A Tenor) will perform the role of Principal Private Secretary, Bernard Woolley.
Joining Helen Mirren as The Queen in the world premiere of Peter Morgan's The Audience are Michael Elwyn as Anthony Eden, Nathaniel Parker as Gordon Brown and Rufus Wright as David Cameron, alongside the previously announced Haydn Gwynne as Margaret Thatcher, Robert Hardy as Winston Churchill and Paul Ritter as John Major. Final casting will be announced shortly.
Opening at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre in Guildford on 7th February 2013, the widely acclaimed production of Yes, Prime Minister will then tour to: Cornwall, Bromley, Cheltenham, High Wycombe, Brighton, Salisbury, Bradford, Durham, Ipswich, Sheffield, Wolverhampton, Richmond, Bristol and Tunbridge Wells. This will be the final chance to see one of the twenty-first century's most successful new stage comedies at regional venues across the UK.
Mark Goucher, Wimpole Theatre and Matthew Byam Shaw for Playful Productions present the award-winning comedy YES, PRIME MINISTER which will extends its 3rd West End season at Trafalgar Studios to 30 March 2013! Also, Antony Jay and Jonathan Lyn film six new television episodes, to air in early 2013!
Robert Daws will play Prime Minister Jim Hacker alongside Michael Simkins as Cabinet Secretary Sir Humphrey Appleby in the triumphant return of Yes, Prime Minister to the West End. Bringing politics back to Whitehall, the popular political comedy will begin an open-ended run at Trafalgar Studios - formerly the Whitehall Theatre, on 6 June 2012.
Howard Davies' five star critically celebrated production of Noël Coward' Hay Fever - the sublime comedy of bad manners - must end its limited run at the Noël Coward Theatre on 2 June 2012 as previously announced.
The 2012 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize has been awarded to U.S. playwright and Texas native Jennifer Haley for her play The Nether. At a private reception in London on February 28, the transatlantic theatre community gathered to honor the playwright and finalists of the annual prize.
Joining Lindsay Duncan (Judith Bliss), Jeremy Northam (Richard Greatham), Kevin R McNally (David Bliss) and Olivia Colman (Myra Arundel) in Howard Davies' production of Noël Coward's Hay Fever are Sam Callis (Sandy Tyrell), Freddie Fox (Simon Bliss), Jenny Galloway (Clara), Amy Morgan (Jackie Coryton) and Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Sorel Bliss). Running at the Noël Coward Theatre from 10 February - 2 June 2012, Coward's sublime comedy of bad manners has designs by Bunny Christie, lighting by Mark Henderson and sound by Mike Walker. Hay Fever press preview performances are Thursday 23 February at 7pm, Friday 24 February at 7.30pm and Saturday 25 February at 2.30pm and 7.30pm, with reviews embargoed until Monday 27 February 2012. Hay Fever is produced in the West End by Richard Willis, Matthew Byam Shaw for Playful Productions and Sonia Friedman Productions.
Playful Productions and Michael Alden have announced that the of UK tour of THE KING'S SPEECH will transfer to Wyndham's Theatre on 22 March, with an opening night on 27 March. This announcement confirms rumours reported on Broadway World over the past two weeks.
The production will also be opening on Broadway in Fall 2012.
The world premier production of the original play by David Seidler took place on Friday 10 February at Guildford's Yvonne Arnaud Theatre and continues on tour around the UK until 17 March.
