The Caretaker Photos - West End

As BroadwayWorld sadly reported yesterday, Sammy Williams, best known for his Tony Award winning performance as Paul San Marco in the original production of A Chorus Line, has passed away yesterday morning at 69. As Paul San Marco, Mr. Williams was also awarded the prestigious Obie Award and was given a Special Theatre World Award for his contribution to that production.

The World Premiere of AFFLUENCE by playwright Steven Peterson is a pitch-dark comedy that may cause one to reflect on the true meaning of wealth. The play was the winner of the 2013 Julie Harris Playwright Award of the Beverly Hills Theatre Guild, now onstage at Theatre 40 through October 20, directed by Larry Eisenberg and produced by David Hunt Stafford, their first stage collaboration in their 40 year friendship. What took you two so long to create such a fine piece of theater?

Gina McKee (Di & Viv & Rose, King Lear, Ivanov, Our Friends In The North, Notting Hill) will play Queen Elizabeth, alongside the previously announced Martin Freeman (Clybourne Park, The Hobbit, Sherlock, Fargo) as Richard III in Jamie Lloyd's first production of his second season at Trafalgar Transformed, Richard III, running from 1 July to 27 September, with press night on 8 July.

The Old Globe today announced principal casting for the Globe's 2012 Shakespeare Festival. Craig Noel Award winner Jay Whittaker returns to the Festival for his third consecutive season to appear in the title role of William Shakespeare's Richard III. He will also appear as Oliver in Shakespeare's As You Like It. Also returning to the Festival are Craig Noel Award winner Robert Foxworth and Adrian Sparks, who will take to the courtroom floor as titanic lawyers Henry Drummond and Matthew Harrison Brady, respectively, in the Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee classic Inherit the Wind. Foxworth, an Old Globe Associate Artist, will also play Lord Hastings in Richard III, and Sparks will play Lord Mayor of London in Richard III and Corin in As You Like It. Festival veteran Dana Green will star as Rosalind, and Dan Amboyer, new to the Festival stage, will play Orlando, the object of her affections, in As You Like It. Green will also play Queen Elizabeth in Richard III. Amboyer will also be featured as Bertram Cates in Inherit the Wind and the Earl of Richmond in Richard III. Festival newcomer Jacques C. Smith will play Jacques in As You Like It, the Duke of Buckingham in Richard III and Mr. Meeker in Inherit the Wind. Adrian Noble returns for his third outing as Artistic Director of the Shakespeare Festival and will helm As You Like It and Inherit the Wind. Renowned British director Lindsay Posner makes his debut at the Globe with his production of Richard III. Noble recently directed the World Premiere stage version of The King's Speech, which is currently touring England, and Posner's hit revival of Noises Off is currently playing at London's Old Vic and will transfer to the West End in March. The 2012 Shakespeare Festival, performed in repertory in the outdoor Lowell Davies Festival Theatre, runs June 3 - Sept. 30, 2012.

59E59 Theaters (Elysabeth Kleinhans, Artistic Director; Peter Tear, Executive Producer) welcomes the return of New Perspectives Theatre Company to 59E59 Theaters with the US premiere of Michael Morpurgo's FARM BOY, adapted and directed by Daniel Buckroyd. FARM BOY began performances on Wednesday, December 7 for a limited engagement through Sunday, January 1. Press opening is Tuesday, December 13 at 7:15 PM. The performance schedule is Tuesday - Thursday at 7:15 PM; Friday at 8:15 PM; Saturday at 2:15 PM & 8:15 PM; Sunday at 3:15 PM & 7:15 PM. Tickets are $35 ($24.50 for 59E59 Members). To purchase tickets, call Ticket Central at (212) 279-4200 or go to www.59e59.org. For more information, visit www.britsoffbroadway.com.

The cast for the UK première of Riff Raff by award-winning actor Laurence Fishburne, at the Arcola Theatre will be Ariyon Bakare as Tony, Karl Collins as Mike and Eugene O'Hare as Billy.

Actors' Playhouse Musical Theatre for Young Audiences presents a little magic for the holidays this season with its acclaimed production of MADELINE'S CHRISTMAS, the delightful musical based on the popular Madeline book series by Ludwig Bemelmans.

Rupert Goold directs Michael Gambon, David Bradley, David Walliams and Nick Dunning in Harold Pinter's No Man's Land, at the Duke of York's Theatre. The production is currently booking until 3 January 2009. A Gate Theatre, Dublin production, No Man's Land is presented by Sonia Friedman Productions and Michael Colgan, with design by Giles Cadle, lighting by Neil Austin and sound and music by Adam Cork. Goold's production transfers to London following its opening at the Gate Theatre, Dublin in August.