Willy Russell News

Gaiety Theatre announces their schedule from January through June.

Following 5 star reviews for Tracie Bennett's performance as Judy Garland, Peter Quilter's End of the Rainbow will extend its West End run taking bookings at the Trafalgar Studios until 16 April 2011.

Directed by Terry Johnson, End of the Rainbow combines humour and heartbreak to capture both the drama of Garland's final performances in London and her controversial life off stage. End of the Rainbow, which opened in Northampton in February last year, transferred to the West End in November where it has been receiving standing ovations at every performance since opening night.

Due to tremendous audience response, Long Wharf Theatre has added an extra performance of Shirley Valentine, by Willy Russell, directed by Gordon Edelstein, and starring Tony Award-winner Judith Ivey. The additional performance will take place Sunday, January 2 at 7 p.m.

Due to tremendous audience response, Long Wharf Theatre has added an extra performance of Shirley Valentine, by Willy Russell, directed by Gordon Edelstein, and starring Tony Award-winner Judith Ivey. The additional performance will take place Sunday, January 2 at 7 p.m.

Be prepared to sing a dramatic song and prepared to sing a second contrasting song if asked. And you will be asked to do a cold reading from the script.

Be prepared to sing a dramatic song and prepared to sing a second contrasting song if asked. And you will be asked to do a cold reading from the script.

Tony Award-winner Judith Ivey teams up again with Artistic Director Gordon Edelstein, the director of her Lucille Lortel Award winning performance in The Glass Menagerie, for the hit comedy Shirley Valentine by Willy Russell, on Long Wharf Theatre's Stage II from Dec. 2 through Jan. 2.

Be prepared to sing a dramatic song and prepared to sing a second contrasting song if asked. And you will be asked to do a cold reading from the script.

From 29 November 2010, 13 year old Scott McKenzie from Dumbarton, Scotland, the twenty fourth boy to play the iconic role of Billy Elliot in the West End, 12 year old Aaron Watson from Kings Lynn, Norfolk, 13 year old Dean Charles-Chapman from Romford, Essex and 12 year old Rhys Yeomans from Oldham, Lancashire, will be joined by principal cast members Genevieve Lemon (Mrs. Wilkinson), Martin Marquez (Dad), Tom Lorcan (Tony), Diane Langton (Grandma), Chris McGlade (George), Kay Milbourne (Dead Mum), Kevin Patricks (Mr. Braithwaite) and Barnaby Meredith (Older Billy) in Billy Elliot The Musical.

Stage One, the charity committed to developing and supporting producers for the commercial theatre industry, is hosting a record number of aspiring producers in production companies across the West End on its highly successful Apprentice Scheme for New Producers.

NATASHA HAMILTON, one third of Atomic Kitten, the UK's most internationally successful girl group of the last ten years is to make her West End stage debut in Willy Russell's legendary musical, BLOOD BROTHERS. Her opening performance will be Monday 24 January 2011 at London's Phoenix Theatre.

Following a sell-out season at the Menier Chocolate Factory, the West End run of Willy Russell's Educating Rita starring Tim Pigott-Smith and Laura Dos Santos, and Shirley Valentine starring Meera Syal, will close on Saturday 30 October 2010 as previously announced.

Tony Award-winner Judith Ivey teams up again with Artistic Director Gordon Edelstein, the director of her Lucille Lortel Award winning performance in The Glass Menagerie, for the hit comedy Shirley Valentine by Willy Russell, on Long Wharf Theatre's Stage II from Dec. 2 through Jan. 2.

Tracie Bennett will play Judy Garland in the West End premiere of Peter Quilter's End of the Rainbow. Directed by Terry Johnson, End of the Rainbow combines humour and heartbreak to capture both the drama of Garland's final performances in London and her controversial life off stage.

From 29 November 2010, 13 year old Scott McKenzie from Dumbarton, Scotland, the twenty fourth boy to play the iconic role of Billy Elliot in the West End, 12 year old Aaron Watson from Kings Lynn, Norfolk, 13 year old Dean Charles-Chapman from Romford, Essex and 12 year old Rhys Yeomans from Oldham, Lancashire, will be joined by principal cast members Genevieve Lemon (Mrs. Wilkinson), Martin Marquez (Dad), Tom Lorcan (Tony), Diane Langton (Grandma), Chris McGlade (George), Kay Milbourne (Dead Mum), Kevin Patricks (Mr. Braithwaite) and Barnaby Meredith (Older Billy) in Billy Elliot The Musical.

A middle-class, middle-aged English woman is trapped in a life that didn't work out as planned. Her husband barely acknowledges her; her children are crazy. She's only 42, but somehow she feels that "the only good things are things in the past."

Loretta Swit has played the title role in Willy Russell's Shirley Valentine everywhere from Chicago to Guam. Now she brings Shirley and her friends Wall and Rock to Mississauga's Stage West Dinner Theatre.

Following a sell-out season at the Menier Chocolate Factory, the West End run of Willy Russell's Educating Rita starring Tim Pigott-Smith and Laura Dos Santos, and Shirley Valentine starring Meera Syal, will close on Saturday 30 October 2010 as previously announced.

More than 65 professional actors from across the country will audition in Naples this weekend, traveling as far away as New York City and Chicago and as nearby as Ft. Lauderdale and Orlando, seeking one or more of 32 available roles, reports Mark Danni, founder and artistic director of TheatreZone, the non-profit professional theatre company in residence at The Community School of Naples campus.