In the first major awards ceremony of the season, The Producers has won Best Musical at the Evening Standard Awards. Mel Brooks' musical, currently starring Nathan Lane and Lee Evans, beat off competition from Sondheim's Forum and Sweeney Todd. In the Best Play category, Alan Bennett took home the gong for The History Boys at The National Theatre, which extended its run until April, whilst Richard Griffiths (known to young audiences for his part of Mr Dursley in the Harry Potter films) won the Best Actor award for his role in the play. Completing the major awards was Victoria Hamilton winning Best Actress for Suddenly Last Summer, a Sheffield Theatres production. Dame Judi Dench, Harold Pinter and The National Theatre won special awards celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the newspaper's awards.
One of the year's most anticipated musical events – Mary Poppins – is to open its doors to the press on Wednesday, no doubt to glowing reviews as preview reports have been excellent. With Cameron Mackintosh attached to it, the opening simply couldn't go by unnoticed – the show has appeared on lots of major programmes and press coverage has been significantly high, not least on the front page of the Daily Mail (though it criticised the show for not being suitable for children.. announcing this after people had bought tickets). Starring Laura Michell Kelly – who has played numerous leading roles (Whistle down the Wind, Mamma Mia, Les Miserables, My Fair Lady) despite being just 22 years of age – the musical is playing at the PrinceEdwardTheatre, formerly home to Mamma Mia, which moved to accommodate the show.
There are two types of tribute show; the Mamma Mia type, with songs from just one group/artist, and the Boogie Nights type, one with songs from across the board. One of the latter has now sprung up – Love Shack, but it has an added selling point– it stars former singers from three British pop acts. Faye Tozer, from Steps, Noel Sullivan, from Hear'Say, and Jon Lee, from S Club 7, will take to the road in the show about a couple about to get married with only their stag and hen nights to go. The songs are from a range of styles and periods – 'Music to Watch Girls By', 'It's Raining Men' and 'Never Gonna Give You Up' all make appearances. It starts touring in Manchester from February and has so far announced dates until June.
Despite being under the threat of closure, The Playhouse Theatre will house the Royal Shakespeare Company's Spanish Golden Age Season. The theatre is currently showing the Young Vic's production of Romeo and Juliet, which is booking until 5th March 2005, contrasting the dates set by the RSC of the Spanish season, which begins on 21st January. It is expected that Romeo and Juliet will announce an official closing date soon. The Spanish season, which has been playing in Stratford and Newcastle, will play its three plays (The Dog in the Manger, House of Desires and Pedro, the Great Pretender) in repertoire and in addition to the RSC's season currently taking place at the Albery Theatre, with Vanessa Redgrave starring in Hecuba from April.
Bat Boy, the musical about a boy who's half boy half bat, is to close in the West End. After some of the poorest reviews of the year when it opened in August – The Guardian said 'it is one of those cultish New York shows that should quickly be returned to sender' - it struggled heavily at the box office, with some theatregoers reporting audiences as low as 50. Despite the apparent poor audience capacities the West Yorkshire Playhouse production, starring original Bat Boy star Deven May, announced an extension until February 2005, hopefully attracting more business. The new musical version of book The Far Pavilions, will open at the Shaftesbury Theatre after Bat Boy vacates – first preview is 24th March.
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