Sophie McShera News

Rehearsal images are released today for the Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company's THE ENTERTAINER, the final production in the year-long Plays at the Garrick season. The production will play at the Garrick from 20 August until 12 November, with press night on 30 August. The Entertainer will also be broadcast live to cinemas across the UK and internationally on 27 October.

London is never short of theatre temptations, whether splashy West End shows, epic dramas or bold fringe offerings. From the new Groundhog Day musical and Shakespeare in a department store to a highly anticipated Branagh performance, here are some of this month's most eye-catching openings. Don't forget to check back for BroadwayWorld's reviews…

Gawn Grainger has joined the Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company production of The Entertainer, which began rehearsals this week. Gawn is playing Billy Rice and replaces John Hurt who, on the advice of his doctors, recently had to withdraw from the production.

It is announced today that on the advice of his doctors, John Hurt has had to withdraw from the Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company production of John Osborne's The Entertainer.

The Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company in partnership with Picturehouse Entertainment, will broadcast Romeo and Juliet to more than 1200 cinemas worldwide live from the West End's Garrick Theatre at 19:00 on Thursday 7 July. Participating cinemas and screening dates can be found at branaghtheatrelive.com

Set against the backdrop of post-war Britain, John Osborne's modern classic conjures the seedy glamour of the old music halls for an explosive examination of public masks and private torment. Rob Ashford directs Kenneth Branagh as the Archie Rice, with John Hurt as Billy Rice in the final production for Plays at the Garrick season.

The Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company, in partnership with Picturehouse Entertainment, has confirmed that the date of the final Branagh Theatre Live cinema broadcast of this season will be The Entertainer at 19:00 on Thursday 27 October 2016. Tickets for the broadcast of The Entertainer and details of participating cinemas can be found at branaghtheatrelive.com

The Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company, in partnership with Picturehouse Entertainment, has confirmed that the date of the final Branagh Theatre Live cinema broadcast of this season will be The Entertainer at 19:00 on Thursday 27 October 2016. Tickets for the broadcast of The Entertainer and details of participating cinemas can be found at branaghtheatrelive.com

The Jamie Lloyd Company's first production of 2016 is the full-throttle UK premiere of a contemporary adaptation of Jean Genet's masterpiece, THE MAIDS - not seen in the West End for 20 years. Director Jamie Lloyd has assembled a powerhouse trio of actors, including double Emmy Award-winning Uzo Aduba (Orange is the New Black), Zawe Ashton (Fresh Meat) and Laura Carmichael (Downton Abbey), to tackle this explosive psycho-drama. The company just celebrated opening night, and BroadwayWorld has photos from the festivities below!

Further casting has been announced for The Entertainer, the final production in the Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company's Plays at the Garrick season. John Hurt will return to the London stage for the first time in a decade as legendary patriarch Billy Rice opposite Kenneth Branagh, who as previously announced, will play the unforgettable Archie Rice in Rob Ashford's production.

According to The Daily Mail, John Hurt and Kenneth Branagh will play father and son in THE ENTERTAINER, beginning August 20 as part of the Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company's first season at The Garrick.

Winners of the 22nd ANNUAL SCREEN ACTORS GUILD AWARDS were revealed tonight, Saturday, January 30th (beginning at 8PM) on a simulcast airing live on TNT and TBS.

With Disney's recent release of CINDERELLA, it seems that not everyone in fairytale land is pleased. In the video below, watch as Cinderella's Prince and Flynn Rider bemoan their lack of popularity by singing a parody to 'Agony' from INTO THE WOODS.

Disney's new live action adaptation of the classic CINDERELLA opens in theaters nationwide today.

Lily James and Richard Madden, the stars of Disney's CINDERELLA, stopped by this morning's Good Morning America to discuss taking on the lead roles in the retelling of a classic tale.

With the recent end to DOWNTON ABBEY's latest season, many fans are going through DOWNTON withdrawals as they anticipate waiting a whole year to see new episodes of the British drama. Fortunately, some DOWNTON super-fans from College Humor have a remedy. Below, check out the team's music video, 'Downton Funk,' a new parody of Mark Ronson's hit pop song 'Uptown Funk'!

PEOPLE reports that Princess Kate is heading to West London's Ealing Studios' to visit the set of DOWNTON ABBEY.

On Tuesday, Milk Publicity, which represents the series, told the Associated Press that Smith's comments were meant to be taken lightheartedly

PEOPLE has shared an exclusive clip at Cate Blanchett in Disney's upcoming CINDERELLA, a live-action version of the fairy tale hitting theaters March 13. Check it out below!