LAST UPDATED: March 22 2022

Upcoming openings in London, the regions, and on Broadway from March 21 2022 onwards

• Monday March 21:

LONDON: Clybourne Park (Park Theatre) March 16-April 23, press night March 21. Bruce Norris’s Pulizer Prize winning play, originally seen in London at the Royal Court in 2010 in a production that transferred to the West End and saw it win the Olivier Award for best play, is revived in a new production directed by Oliver Kaderbhai, with a cast that includes Michael Fox, Andrew Langtree, Richard Lintern, Imogen Stubbs and Eric Underwood. Press contact: Kate Morley at Kate Morley PR. https://www.parktheatre.co.uk/whats-on/clybourne-park

• Tuesday March 22:

LONDON: The Human Voice (Pinter Theatre) March 17-April 9, press night March 22. Ruth Wilson performs Jean Cocteau’s theatrical monologue, in a production directed by Ivo van Hove, after previously working together on Hedda Gabler at the National in 2016, for a West End run of only 31 performances. Press contact: Kate Morley. https://thehumanvoiceplay.co.uk/

• Wednesday March 23:

LONDON: Straight Line Crazy (Bridge Theatre) March 16-June 18, press night March 23) Ralph Fiennes stars in the world premiere of David Hare’s play about Robert Moses, who for forty years was the most powerful man in New York, who created new parks, bridges and expressways, but whose efforts saw grassroot protests by groups of citizens who had very different ideas of what a city was and what it should be. Fiennes previously appeared at the Bridge in Hare’s Beat the Devil. Regular Hare collaborator Nicholas Hytner (and artistic director of the Bridge) directs. The full cast comprises Julie Atherton, Holly Atkins, Wendy Mae Brown, Pip Carter, Samuel Creasey, Ella Dacres, Ayesha Dharker, Heather Forster, Naomi Frederick, Richard James-Neale, John Light, Dearbhla Molloy, Tomi Ogbaro, Sid Sagar, Nick Sampson and Sky Yang.  Press contact: Janine Shalom at Premier Communications. https://bridgetheatre.co.uk/whats-on/straight-line-crazy/

REGIONAL: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Manchester Opera House) March 23-April 2, then touring. The 2019 London Palladium revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s first hit musical — directed by Laurence Connor, choreographed by JoAnn M Hunter, and designed by Morgan Large — goes on the touring road, with Jac Yarrow reprising his Olivier nominated performance in the title role, joined by Alexandra Burke and Linzi Hateley (doing different venues as the Narrator) and Jason Donovan (swapping his loincloth as Joseph in a 1991 revival of Joseph to now play the gyrating Pharaoh) at some venues. Press contact; Rebecca Byers at Storyhouse PR. Full tour and principal casting details at each venue here: https://uktour.josephthemusical.com/tour-dates/

• Thursday March 24:

REGIONAL: The Wellspring (Royal & Derngate, Norhampton) March 17-26, press night March 24. World premiere of what is described as a “deeply autobiographical” play from playwright Barney Norris and his father, David Owen Norris, who is a pianist and broadcaster. The play examines “that age-old story of a boy and his dad, and how they can relate to one another, in every sense of the word”. Jude Christian directs. After its run in Northampton, it will play in Oxford, Southampton and Guldford, before touring to literary festivals this summer. In a press statement, Barney Norris has commented, “The Wellspring is a play about fathers and sons, and a particular father and son who have spent time apart and want to hear each other’s stories. It’s also about how we end up in the lives we end up in, and the wild, precarious adventure of deciding to be an artist – something my Dad and I both did. We want to use the play to fill auditoria with music, and song, and joy, and happy memory; also with loss, with revelation, with the vulnerability of extreme honesty. We want it to feel, effectively, like being in a family.” Press contact; Amanda Howson, amanda.howson@namtrust.co.uk. Website: https://www.royalandderngate.co.uk/whats-on/the-wellspring/

• Monday March 28:

LONDON: The Fever Syndrome (Hampstead Theatre) March 18-April 23, press night March 28. Hampstead artistic director Roxana Silbert directs the world premiere of Alexis Zegerman’s play about a brilliantly dysfunctional family. The cast includes Robert Lindsay, Lisa Dillon and Alexandra Gilbreath. The play is presented here by arrangement with Manhattan Theatre Club. Press contact: Clare McCormack at Hampstead. https://www.hampsteadtheatre.com/whats-on/2022/the-fever-syndrome/

BROADWAY: Plaza Suite (Hudson Theatre) Previews from February 25, opens March 28. Actor-turned-director John Benjamin Hickey’s new production of Neil Simon’s Plaza Suite stars husband and wife team Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker. The cast also includes Danny Bolero, Molly Ranson and Eric Wiegand. It as originally due to begin performances at the Hudson Theatre on March 13, 2020 — the day after Broadway was shut down. It will now begin previews nearly two years later at the same venue. Press contacts: Rick Miramontez / Aaron Meier at DCK/O&M. rick@omdkc.com / aaron@omdkc.com. http://plazasuitebroadway.com/

• Tuesday March 29:

LONDON: & Juliet (CAST CHANGE) From March 29, 2022. Keala Settle — pictured above right, best known for her starring role in the film musical The Greatest Showtman — makes her West End debut, taking over as Nurse from March 29 to June 18. She joins original cast members, Olivier winners Miriam-Teak Lee and Cassidy Janson, as well as Oliver Tompsett, Tim Mahendran and Alex Thomas-Smith. Press contact: David Bloom/Nada Zakula at Storyhouse PR. https://www.andjulietthemusical.co.uk/

* Thursday March 31:

LONDON: To Kill a Mockingbird (Gielgud Theatre) previews from March 10, opens March 31. Aaron Sorkin’s current Broadway hit stage version of Harper Lee’s celebrated novel, originally announced to open in the West End last year, finally transfers now, with Rafe Spall leading the cast as Atticus Finch. Bartlett Sher’s production will also include David Moorst, Pamela Nomvete, Jim Norton, Lloyd Hutchinson and Tom Mannion Press contact: Kate Morley. https://www.tokillamockingbird.co.uk/

Sunday April 3:

BROADWAY: Paradise Square (Barrymore Theatre) Previews from March 15, opens April 3. Moisés Kaufman directs and Bill T Jones choreographs a new musical by Jason Howland and Larry Kirwan (music), Nathan Tyson and Masi Asare (lyrics) and Christina Anderson, Marcus Gardley, Craig Lucas and Larry Kirwan (book) that brings former felon producer Garth Drabinsky back to Broadway, after serving time in a Canadian prison for fraud and forgery related to his previous outings as a producer. Set in a local saloon in 1863 Lower Manhattan, where free black Americans and Irish immigrants live and love together, it depicts an overlooked true-life moment when hope and possibility shone bright. The cast includes Joaquina Kalukango, Chilina Kennedy, John Dossett, Sidney DuPont, AJ Shively and Matt Bogart. Press contact:  Jim Byk/Shane Marshall Brown/Juliana Hannett at the Press Room. https://www.paradisesquaremusical.com/

• Monday April 4:

BROADWAY: Take Me Out (Hayes Theatre) Previews from March 10, opens April 4, runs to May 29. Richard Greenberg’s Tony Award winning play — originally premiered at London’s Donmar Warehouse before transferring to Broadway’s Walter Kerr Theatre in 2003 — is revived in a new production directed by Scott Ellis, under the auspices of Second Stage, with a cast that inlaces Jesse Tyler Ferguson. Press contact: Polk & Co. https://2st.com/shows/take-me-out

• Tuesday April 5:

LONDON: ”Daddy” (Almeida) March 26-April 30, press night April 5. Danya Taymor directs the UK premiere of Jeremy O. Harris’s play, whose other work includes Slave Play that was recently produced on Broadway. Rebecca Bernice Amissah, Keisha Atwell, Ioanna Kimbook and John McCrea, who were all originally cast in the play before it was postponed by the pandemic, are now joined by Claes Bang, Terique Jarrett, Jenny Rainsford, Sharlene Whyte and T’Shan Williams. Press contact: Alexander Milward at the Almeida. https://almeida.co.uk/whats-on/daddy/26-mar-2022-30-apr-2022

LONDON: Anyone Can Whistle (Southwark Playhouse) April 1-May 7, press night April 5) Alex Young returns to Southwark Playhouse, where she previously starred in a production of Promises, Promises, to play Mayoress Cora Hoover Hooper in a new production of Stephen Sondheim and Arthur Laurents’s satirical flop 1964 musical, that originally ran for just nine performances, when it starred Angela Lansbury in the role that Young will now play. Matthew Rankcom will direct. PR: Kevin Wilson https://www.southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/show-whats-on/anyone-can-whistle/

• Wednesday April 6:

LONDON: The 47th (Old Vic) March 29-May 28, press night April 8. The world premiere of Mike Bartlett’s play, is directed by Rupert Goold, artistic director of the Almeida, where he previously staged the world premieres of Bartlett’s King Charles III and Ink, before they transferred to the West End. Set in 2024 and as America goes to the polls, democracy itself is on the brink. Who takes the White House – and at what cost? It will star Bertie Carvel as Donald Trump, Tamara Tunie as Kamala Harris and Lydia Wilson as Ivanka Trump. It is co-produced with Sonia Friedman Productions and Annapurna Theatre in collaboration with Fictional Company and Almeida Theatre. Press contacts: Katie Marsh,Armani Ur-Rub at Old Vic.
https://www.oldvictheatre.com/whats-on/2022/watch-at-the-theatre/the-47th

REGIONAL: Hedwig and the Angry Inch (Leeds Playhouse) April 2-23, press night April 6. Jamie Fletcher directs a new production of Stephen Trask and John Cameron Mitchell’s genderqueer rock musical, starring Yorkshire drag queen Diva De Campo in the title role Press contact, jo.haywood@leedsplayhouse.org.uk. Website: https://leedsplayhouse.org.uk/events/hedwig-and-the-angry-inch/

• Thursday April 7:

LONDON: For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When the Hue Gets Too Heavy (Royal Court’s Jerwood Theatre Downstairs) March 31-April 30, presss night April 7. Ryan Calais Cameron’s play, originally conceivedin the wake of the killing of Trayvon Martin in 2013. It was one of the first shows to be made at New Diorama Theatre’s revolutionary Post-Lockdown artist recovery hub NDT Broadgate, where Nouveau Riche are an Associate Company. Originally directed by Tristan Fynn-Aiduenu, it first ran at the New Diorama in October/November 2021; it is now directed by the author. Press contact: Anoushka Warden at Royal Court. https://royalcourttheatre.com/whats-on/for-black-boys-who-have-considered-suicide-when-the-hue-gets-too-heavy

LONDON: Another America (Park Theatre 90) April 6-30, press night April 7. World premiere of Bill Rosenfields play, inspired by Dan Austin’s documentary True Fans that follows, three friends riding across the USA, seeking different versions of their country and themselves. Joseph Winters directs a cast that comprises Rosanna Suppa, Jacob Lovick and Marco Young, playing 36 characters across different genders, races and passions. Press contact: Emma Berge emma@mobiusindustries.com. Website: https://www.parktheatre.co.uk/whats-on/another-america

REGIONAL: The Man Behind the Mask (Nottingham Playhouse, April 7-9, then touring, including London dates at Richmond Theatre on April 25, and the West End’s Gielgud on May 29 and June 5). Barry Humphries appears as himself in what is described as an “intimate, confessional evening”. He comments, ““This is a show in which I am the principal character; it’s not Les, it’s not Edna, it’s not Sandy Stone. It is really about this character called ‘me’. I’m not in disguise. It is the story of my generation, it is a story of a life spent in the theatre and a life spent in comedy, and it will show what it is like to be a clown. In a way, this is perhaps the bravest thing I’ve ever done, and I hope the most entertaining. I think people might be agreeably shocked and they certainly will learn much they didn’t know.” Press contact: Kevin Wilson. https://manbehindthemask.co.uk/

• Friday April 8:

BROADWAY: Beetlejuice (Marquis Theatre, from April 8) After being forced to vacate its original home the Winter Garden during its original run in 2019/20, after he theatre owners invoked their stop clause even though attendances were building so that they could accommodate The Music Man revival instead, this stage version of Tim Burton’s 1988 film of the same name now returns to the Marquis Theatre. With book by Scott Brown and Anthony King and music and lyrics by Eddie Perfect, it is directed by Alex Timbers. Press contact: Polk & Co. https://beetlejuicebroadway.com/

• Saturday April 9:

LONDON: Bonnie and Clyde The Musical (Arts Theatre), from April 9, press night to be announced. Hot on the heels of a sold-out two night concert run at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane on January 17/18, Frank Wildhorn, Don Black and Ivan Menchell’s short-lived 2011 Broadway musical (it opened and closed after just 36 performances in the same December month, following 33 previews beforehand) finally gets a West End run. In a press statement, Black has commented, “The show has become so loved by people in the ten years since it was on Broadway. In fact, in one year we had something ridiculous like 60 productions going all over America, so we knew that people liked it – and now our time has come for London.” Nick Winston directs Frances Mayli McCann and Jordan Luke Gage in the title roles; the cast also features Natalie McQueen and George Maguire. Press contact: Emily Webb/ Simon Raw at Raw PR. https://bonnieandclydemusical.com/

• Sunday April 10:

BROADWAY: Birthday Candles (American Airlines Theatre) March 18-May 29, opening night April 10. Debra Messing stars in the New York premiere of Noah Haidle’s play, originally seen at Detroit Public Theatre in 2018 and now presented under the auspices of Roundabout Theatre Company. The production also features Crystal Finn, Susannah Flood and Christopher Livingston. Press contact: Polk & Co. https://www.roundabouttheatre.org/get-tickets/2021-2022-season/birthday-candles/

LONDON: Olivier Awards (Royal Albert Hall) This year’s Olivier Awards are to take place at the Royal Albert Hall on April 10, hosted by Jason Manford, who introduces them here. Press contact: Eva Mason, at SOLT eva@soltukt.co.uk. Some of last year’s winners are above; this year’s nominees are here: https://officiallondontheatre.com/olivier-awards/year/olivier-awards-2022/

• Monday April 11:

BROADWAY: The Little Prince (Broadway Theatre) Previews from March 29, opens April 11. Direct from a run in Sydney, this new musical version of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s novella coms to Broadway (moving its dates from the originally announced previews that were due to begin March 4 before a March 17 opening).Directed and choreographed by Anne Tournié, with libretto adaptation and co-direction by Chris Mouron, it has original music by Terry Truck. Press contact: Adrian Bryan-Brown, Michelle Farabaugh at Boneau/Bryan-Brown. https://thelittleprincebroadway.com

• Tuesday April 12:

LONDON: Zorro the Musical (Charing Cross Theatre)April 2-May 28, press night April 12, rescheduled from originally announced March 12-May 8, press night March 17. Re-imagined version of Stephen Clark and Helen Edmundson’s 2008 West End musical, featuring music by the Gipsy Kings and John Cameron, is revived in London for the first time since that original production for a full run, after a previous concert staging in February 2020. Press contact: Freya Cowdry at Kate Morley PR. https://www.zorrothemusical.co.uk/

• Thursday April 14:

LONDON: The Corn is Green (National’s Lyttelton) April 7-June 11, press night April 14. Dominic Cooke directs the first London revival of Emlyn Williams’s semi-autobiographical play in over 35 years. Nicola Walker plays Miss Lily Moffat, a teacher newly arrived in rural North Wales, determined to help young local miners out of poverty by teaching them to read and write. Press contact: Sophie Wilkinson at National Theatre. https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/shows/the-corn-is-green

LONDON: Scandaltown (Lyric Hammersmith) April 7-May 14, press night April 14. Lyric Hammersmith artistic director Rachel O’Riordan directs the world premiere of Mike Bartlett’s modern restoration comedy, set in post-pandemic London, full of immorality, political hypocrisy and the machinations of a fame-hungry elite. The cast includes Rachael Stirling, Richard Goudling and Emma Cunliffe. Press contact: Su-Ann Cow-Seegoolam at Lyric Hammersmith. https://lyric.co.uk/shows/scandaltown/

BROADWAY: American Buffalo (Circle in the Square) March 22-July 10, opens April 14. David Mamet’s play is revived with Darren Criss, Laurence Fishburne and Sam Rockwell starring under the direction of Neil Pepe. Press contact: Matt Polk. https://americanbuffalonyc.com/

• Sunday April 17:

BROADWAY: Tracy Letts’ The Minutes, originally set to open at Broadway’s Cort Theatre in March 2020 but shut down during previews when Covid closed the theatres, will now resume performances two years later, from April 2, at a new venue Studio 54, prior to official opening April 17. Anna D Shapiro directs; the cast is still be confirmed. (It originally starred Armie Hammer, who announced in April that he has departed the production, following allegations of sexual assault, which he strongly denies. In a press statement in April, he announced, “I have loved every single second of working on The Minutes with the family I made from Steppenwolf. But right now I need to focus on myself and my health for the sake of my family. Consequently, I will not be returning to Broadway with the production.” Press contacts: Matt Polk/Jeffrey Fauver at Polk & Co. https://www.telecharge.com/Broadway/The-Minutes/Overview

• Tuesday April 19:
  

BROADWAY: How I Learned to Drive (Samuel J Friedman Theatre) Previews from March 29, opens April 19. Mary-Louise Parker and David Morse reunite under their original director Mark Brokaw for the Broadway premiere of Paula Vogel’s Pulitzer-prize winning play that they first did together under the auspices of off-Broadway’s Vineyard Theatre in 1997. Press contact: Boneau/Bryan-Brown. https://www.manhattantheatreclub.com/shows/2021-22-season/how-i-learned-to-drive/

REGIONAL: The Taxideremist’s Daughter (Chichester Festival Theatre) April 8-30 press night April 19. Kate Mosse adapts her own novel of retribution and justice, set in and around Chichester, for the stage. Róisín McBrinn directs a cast that includes Pearl Chanda, Daisy Prosper and Forbes Masson. Press contact: Lucinda Morrison at Chichester. https://www.cft.org.uk/whats-on/event/the-taxidermists-daughter-22

• Wednesday April 20:

BROADWAY: for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf (Booth Theatre) Previews from April 1, opens April 20. Camille A. Brown directs and choreographs a new production of Ntozke Shange’s 1976 “choreopoem”, a series of poetic monologues set to dance movements and music that tell the stories fo seven women of colour who have suffered oppression. Press contact: Polk and Co. https://forcoloredgirlsbway.com/

• Thursday April 21:

BROADWAY: Hangmen (Golden Theatre) Previews from April 8, opens April 21. Martin McDonagh’s play, originally premiered at the Royal Court in 2015 before transferring to Wyndham’s, finally reaches Broadway in a production, directed by Matthew Dunster who also directed the London premiere, that originated at Atlantic Theatre Company in 2018. It was already on the boards at the Golden in 2020, where it had begun previews, but its opening was cancelled when Broadway was forced to shut down because of COVID. For the new run, most of the 2020 cast will return, but with Dan Stevens, Mark Addy and Ewen Bremner replaced respectively by Alfie Allen, David Threlfall and Andy Nyman. Press contact: Polk and Co. https://www.hangmenbroadway.com/

• Sunday April 24:

BROADWAY: Funny Girl (August Wilson Theatre) Previews from March 26, press night April 24. The Menier Chocolate Factory production, directed by Michael Mayer, that transferred to the West End’s Savoy Theatre with Sheridan Smith in the title role, is now revived on Broadway, with a cast led by Beanie Feldstein in the title role of Fanny Brice, and also featuring Ramin Karimloo as Nicky Arnstein and Jane Lynch as Fanny’s mother Mrs Rosie Brice. Press contact: Polk & Co. https://www.cjujamcyn.com/shows/funny-girl/

• Monday April 25:

BROADWAY: The Skin of Our Teeth (Vivian Beaumont Theatre) Previews from April 1, opening night April 25. LCT resident director Lilieana Blain-Cruz makes her Broadway debut directing a revival of Thornton Wilder’s play, which won the 1943 Pulizer Prize for Drama. The play illuminates the endurance of the human spirit as it follows the Antrobus family of Excelsior, New Jersey as they persevere through an Ice Age, a biblical flood, and war.   The Antrobus Family will be played by James Vincent Meredith as Mr. Antrobus, Roslyn Ruff as Mrs. Antrobus, and Paige Gilbert and Julian Robertson as their children Gladys and Henry. Gabby Beans will play their maid, Sabina, with Priscilla Lopezas the Fortune Teller. Press contact: Philip Rinaldi, Juliana Hannett, nick.Buchholz@lct.org. https://www.lct.org/shows/skin-our-teeth/

• Tuesday April 26:

BROADWAY: A Strange Loop (Lyceum Theatre) Previews from April 6, opening night April 26). Michael R Jackson’s autobiographically inspired musical, for which he wrote book, music and lyrics and which won the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for drama, transfers to Broadway, after originally premiering at Playwright’s Horizons in 2019. Press contact: Polk and Co. https://strangeloopmusical.com/

• Wednesday April 27:

LONDON: Prima Facie (Harold Pinter Theatre) April 15-June 18, 2022, press night April 27. Jodie Cromer, star of TV’s Killing Eve, makes her stage debut in the UK premiere of Suzie Miller’s one-person play, premiered at Sydney’s Griffin Theatre in 2019, playing a brilliant young barrister who is forced to confront the lines where the patriarchal power of the law, burden of proof and morals diverge. Justin Martin directs. Press contact: Lewis Jenkins at Storyhouse PR. https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/prima-facie/harold-pinter-theatre/

BROADWAY: Mr Saturday Night (Nederander Theatre) Previews from March 29, opening night April 27) Billy Crystal reprises the title role of stand-up comic Buddy Young Jr that he first played in the 1992 film of the same name, originally co-written and directed by himself, for a musical version that features a score by Jason Robert Brown and Amanda Green. It will feature a book by Crystal with his original co-authors Babaloo Mandel and Lowell Ganz, and will be directed by John Rando. The production will also feature Shoshana Bean, Randy Graff, David Paymer, and Chasten Harmon. Press contact: Polk & Co. https://mrsaturdaynightonbroadway.com/

• Thursday April 28:

BROADWAY: POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive (Shubert Theatre) April 14-August 14, opening April 27 matinee (brought forward from the originally announced May 9, so that it falls within eligibility for consideration for this year’s Tony Awards). Susan Stroman directs the world premiere of Selina Fillinger’s new comedy, featuring an all-female cast led by Lilli Cooper, Lea DeLaria, Rachel Dratch, Julianne Hough, Suzy Nakamura, Julie White and Vanessa Williams. They play the women in charge of the man in charge of the free world. https://potusbway.com/

LONDON: Jerusalem (Apollo Theatre) April 16 to August 6, 2021, opening night April 28. Mark Rylance and Mackenzie Crook reprise their performances in the return of Ian Rickson’s production of Jez Butterworth’s play to its original West End home that it played at in 2010, after transferring from the Royal Court where it had premiered in 2009. Press contact: Janine Shalom at Premier Communications. https://jerusalemtheplay.co.uk/

LONDON: Operation Mincemeat (Riverside Studios) April 28-July 9. The hit musical, first seen at the New Diorama and then at Southwark Playhouse in three sell-out runs, returns for a fourth season, now at West London’s Riverside. Written by SplitLip (David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson and Zoe Roberts), it is set in 1943 when Britiain is losing the war. In a press statement, Rachel Tackley, Creative Director of Riverside Studios, has commented: “Operation Mincemeat has been described as audacious, miraculous, dazzling, multitasking with little more than a few strings of telephone wire and with a very big future. I feel like we are made for each other!” Press contact: Victoria Wedderburn at Avalon, VWedderburn@avalonuk.com. Website: https://www.operationmincemeat.com/

BROADWAY: Macbeth (Longacre Theatre) March 29 to July 10, opening night April 28. Daniel Craig plays the title role opposite Ruth Negga as Lady M in Sam Gold’s new production of Shakespeare’s tragedy. Press contact: Polk & Co. https://macbethbroadway.com

• Friday April 29:

LONDON: Much Ado About Nothing (Shakespeare’s Globe) April 22-October 23, press night April 29. Director Lucy Bailey returns to the Globe — where she previously directed Titus Andronicus (2014) as well as Macbeth (2010), Timon of Athens (2008) and As You Like It (1998), to open this year’s summer season; it will be performed by the Globe Ensemble including Peter Bourke, Rachel Hannah Clarke, George Fouracres, Nadi Kemp-Sayfi and Ciaran O’Brien. Press contact: Claudia Conway, Jessica Strawson at the Globe. https://www.shakespearesglobe.com/whats-on/much-ado-about-nothing-2022/

LONDON: Five Characters in Search of a Good Night’s Sleep (Southwark Playhouse) April 27 to May 21, press night April 29., Visible Theatre, a theatre company dedicated to creating performance work that throws fresh perspectives on later life and living longer, presents the world premiere of a play that has been developed over a two-year period through a series of workshop in which all the material for the play was created by the actors. Directed by Mike Alfreds, previously Artistic Director and founder of theatre companies Shared Experience and Method and Madness, it is devised by him and Sonja Linden with the company. In the play, five insomniacs try to make it through the night. From dusk to dawn, they struggle with a crisis in their lives which they must resolve by morning. Increasingly conscious of their shortening futures and lengthening pasts, they fill their nights with distracting activities, desperate sleep techniques, evaluations of their lives, delusions, fears, panics and utter foolishness as they prepare to face the day. The company comprises Geraldine Alexander, Andrew Hawkins, Sally Knyvette, Gary Lilburn and Vincenzo Nicoli. Press contacts: Georgie Grant/Freya Cowdry at Kate Morley PR. https://www.southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/the-little/five-characters-in-search-of-a-good-nights-sleep/

• Wednesday May 4:

LONDON: Middle (National’s Dorfman) April 27-June 18, press night May 14. Playwright David Eldridge and director Polly Findlay, who previously collaborated on Beginning which transferred from the National to the West End, reunite for the second in a planned trilogy of plays about love and relationships. Claire Rushbrook and Daniel Ryan star in this portrait of a 21st-century marriage. Press contact: Louisa Terry at National Theatre. https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/shows/middle

LONDON: House of Ife (Bush Theatre) April 29-June 11, press night May 4. Bush artistic director Lynette Linton directs the first of this year’s 50th birthday season production. Ethiopian-British writer Beru Tessema play is a new Bush commissio. It is described as Aatense and captivating story of what it means to belong, and what happens when a family’s secrets shake its foundations. Press contact: Martin Shippen, martinshippen@bushtheatre.co.uk. Website: https://www.bushtheatre.co.uk/event/house-of-ife/

• Thursday May 5:

LONDON: Oklahoma! (Young Vic) April 26-June 25, press night May 5. Director Daniel Fish’s re-imagining of the 1943 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, co-directed with Jordan Fein, that won the 2019 Tony for Best Revival of a Musical when it transferred to the Circle in the Square Theatre after premiering at Bard College’s Bard SummerScape season in 2015, after which it also played a New York season at St Ann’s Warehouse in Brooklyn in 2018, now comes to London’s Young Vic, co-produced with Eva Price, Sonia Friedman Productions and Michael Harrison. The cast is led by Arthur Darvill as Curly McLain, Anoushka Lucas as Laurey Williams, Owith James Davis as Will Parker, Stavros Demetraki as Ali Hakim, Liza Sadovy as Aunt Eller, Patrick Vaill as Jud Fry and Marisha Wallace as Ado Annie. Press contact: Emma Hardy at Young Vic. https://www.youngvic.org/whats-on/oklahoma

LONDON: Age of Rage (Barbican Theatre) May 5-8, press night May 5. Ivo van Hove brings his Internationaal Theater Amsterdam production of Age of Rage to the Barbican for four performances. Based on the tragedies written by Euripides and Aeschylus: Iphigenia in Aulis, The Trojan Women, Hecuba, Agamemnon, Electra and Orestes, it spotlights the inevitability and hopelessness of repeated circles of violence. With sets by Jan Versweyveld, choreography by Belgian choreographer Wim Vandekeybus and music from the contemporary music collective BL!NDMAN [drums], it is performed in Dutch with English subtitles. Press contact: Angela Dias at Barbican. https://www.barbican.org.uk/whats-on/2022/event/internationaal-theater-amsterdam-age-of-rage

REGIONAL: All Lies (Old Laundry Theatre in Bowness-on-Windermere) May 5-21. Alan Ayckbourn writes and directs a new play, the first of his plays to receive its world premiere outside of Scarborough in 35 years. In a press statement, Ayckbourn commented, “I originally wrote All Lies as a small-scale show during lockdown, but because I’m already involved in writing another new play for my home theatre, the Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough, I thought that rather than waste All Lies, I’d offer it to The Old Laundry. What is nice is this is a world premiere and it is The Old Laundry’s world premiere.” The play explores the lies and various versions of the truth people tell in the early stages of a relationship. Set in the 1950s it tells the story of a chance meeting … It’s love at first sight! The person of your dreams! But will they feel the same? Once you tell the truth about yourself will you even be worthy of them? Do you take the plunge and reveal all? Or choose the dangerous alternative and tell them … All lies?! https://www.oldlaundrytheatre.co.uk/event/all-lies-2022/

• Tuesday May 10:

REGIONAL: Passion (Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester) May 5-June 5, press night May 10. Ruthie Henshall stars as Fosca in a re-imagining of Sondheim and James Lapine’s 1994 Broadway musical about the consequences of intense passion, obsessive love and the lengths people will go to for desire, based on Ettore Scola’s Italian film Passion d’Amore. Michael Strassen directs a limited run of 37 performances. Press contact: Caitlin Plimmer at Chloé Nelkin Consulting. https://hopemilltheatre.co.uk/events/passion

• Tuesday May 17:

LONDON: Grease (Dominion Theatre) Previews from May 3, with a press opening on May 17. Tthe 1971 stage musical, best known for 1978 film that was based on it, is to return to the Dominion Theatre, where a hit revival opened in 1993 and made several West End returns in 2001, 2002 and 2007 (at different venues). This new production, which originated at Curve, Leicester, is directed by Nikolai Foster (Curve artistic director) and choreographed by Arlene Phillips, the latter of whom also choreographed the 1993 revival. The production stars Dan Partridge and Olivia Moore as Danny and Sandy respectively, with Peter Andre making his West End debut as Vince Fontaine at certain performances. The cast also features Jocasta Almgill as Rizzo, Paul French as Kenickie, Mary Moore as Jan, Jake Reynolds as Doody, Lizzy-Rose Esin-Kelly as Marty, Damon Gould as Sonny, Eloise Davies as Frenchie, Jessica Croll as Patty Simcox, Katie Lee as Cha Cha, Ronan Burns as Johnny Casino and Corinna Powlesland as Miss Lynch. Darren Bennett will play Officer Mailie and Vince Fontaine at certain performances. Press contact: Alexandra Buchanan at Amanda Malpass PR: alex@amandamalpass.com. Website: https://www.greasemusical.co.uk/

• Wednesday May 18:

LONDON: My Fair Lady (London Coliseum) May 7-August 27, press night May 18. Barlett Sher’s 2018 Lincoln Center revival of the 1956 Lerner and Loewe musical adaptation of Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion, is to transfer to London’s Coliseum for a summer season. Harry Hadden-Paton will reprise his Tony nominated performance as Hnery Higgins, newly joined by Amara Okereke as Eliza Doolittle. Dame Vanessa Redgrave will play Henry’s mother Mrs Higgins, Maureen Beattie will play Mrs Pearce, and Sharif Afifi will play Freddie Eynesford-Hill. It is co-produced in London by James L. Nederlander, Jamie Wilson, Hunter Arnold, Playful Productions and the English National Opera. Folllowing its London run, it will tour to Bradford’s Alhambra (Septemer 9-October 1), Dublin’s Bord Gáis Energy Theatre (October 6-30), Cardiff’s Wales Millennium Cenrtre (November 8-25) and Southampton’s Mayflower (January 12-29). Press contact: Ben Chamberlain and Amy Dearing at Bread and Butter PR. https://myfairladymusical.co.uk

LONDON: LIFT (Southwark Playhouse) May 13-June 18, press night May 18. Return of Craig Adams and Ian Watson’s 2013 musical, originally premiered at Soho Theatre, set in a London Underground lift. It will be directed by Dean Johnson, with musical direction and new arrangements by Sam Young. In a press statement, Johnson has commented, “LIFT has been one of those shows that has grown in popularity since the concept album and original production 10 years ago, while the performers involved in that process came to define a generation of British talent.” Press contact: Connor Tobin, TM PR, connor@tobinandmilespr.co.uk. Website: https://www.southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/show-homepage/lift/

• Thursday May 19:

LONDON: The Father and the Assassin (National’s Olivier Theatre) May 12-June 18, press night May 19. Indhu Rubasingham directs a new play by Anupama Chandrasekhar that traces Nathuram Godse’s life over 30 years during India’s fight for independence: from devout follower of Mahatma Gandhi, through to his radicalisation and their tragic final encounter. Shubham Saraf plays Godse alongside Sagar Arya, Ayesha Dharker and Peter Singh. Press contact: Sophie Wilkinson at National Theatre. https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/shows/the-father-and-the-assassin

REGIONAL: Corrina, Corrina (Liverpool Everyman) May 19-June 4. Headlong premieres a new play by Liverpool-based playwright Chloe Moss, directed by artistic director Holly Race Roughan. A thriller set on a cargo ship travelling from the UK to Singapore, it explores the exploitation and power dynamics on board.  Press contact: Kate Kassall at Bread and Butter PR. https://headlong.co.uk/productions/corrina-corrina/

• Friday May 20:

REGIONAL: Murder on the Orient Express (Chichester Festival Theatre) May 13-June 4, press night May 20. Jonathan Church, former artistic director at Chichester, returns to direct Ken Ludwig’s stage version of Agatha Christie’s story7, featuring Henry Goodman as Poirot. After Chichester, it will run at Bath Theatre Royal from June 9-25. Press contact: Lucinda Morrison at Chichester. https://www.cft.org.uk/whats-on/event/murder-on-the-orient-express

• Monday May 23:

LONDON: We Started to Sing (Arcola Theatre) May 19-June 18, press night May 23. The Arcola opens its doors for the first time since March 2020 with the world premiere of We Started to Sing, written and directed by Barney Norris whose first play Visitors was premiered here, as well as Eventide. In a statement, Norris has said, “This is a play about family and home, and I am fortunate to be able to make it with the Arcola, who have made me feel part of the family ever since they let me stage my first play, Visitors, there. It was at the Arcola that I first started trying to write plays out of love, in order to connect audiences with what they love in their own lives; We Started To Sing is an attempt to come home to that idea, and welcome audiences back from the isolation of the last few years. I am happy to be home.” Press contact: Kate Morley. https://www.arcolatheatre.com/whats-on/we-started-to-sing/

• Tuesday May 24:

LONDON: Legally Blonde (Open Air Theatre, Regent’s Park) The 2007 Broadway musical vision of the 2001 film of the same name that was a West End hit starring Sheridan Smith when it transferred to London in 2010 is revived in a new production at Regent’s Park, directed by Lucy Moss, co-writer and co-director of the West End and Broadway hit Six. Written by Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin (music and lyrics), and Heather Hach (book), it will star Six alumnus Courtney Bowman as Elle Woods. She is joined by a cast that includes Michael Ahomka-Lindsay (Emmett), Lauren Drew (Brooke), Vanessa Fisher (Vivienne), Isaac Hesketh (Margot), Nadine Higgin (Paulette), Alžbeta Matyšáková (Enid), Eugene McCoy (Callahan), Grace Mouat (Pilar), Alistair Toovey (Warner) and Hannah Yun Chamberlain (Serena). Press contact: James Lever at Jo Allan PR, james@joallanpr.com. Website: https://openairtheatre.com/production/legally-blonde

Thursday May 26:

LONDON: Henry VIII (Shakespeare’s Globe) May 19-October 21, press night May 26. Shakespeare and Fletcher are newly joined by the Globe’s 2022 Resident Writer Hannah Khalil to re-tell the story from a female perspective. It is directed by Amy Hodge. Press contact: Claudia Conway, Jessica Strawson at the Globe. https://www.shakespearesglobe.com/whats-on/henry-viii-2022/

REGIONAL: The Unfriend (Chichester’s Minerva Theatre) May 21-July 9, press night May 26. Amanda Abbington, Frances Barber and Reece Shearsmith star in Mark Gatiss’s production of a satirical new play by Steve Moffat (best known for his screen work for Doctor Who, Sherlock and Dracula, the latter pair of which were co-written with Gatiss) about middle-class England’s disastrous instinct always to appear nice. Press contact: Lucinda Morrison at Chichester. https://www.cft.org.uk/whats-on/event/the-unfriend

• Friday May 27:

LONDON: The Lion (Southwark Playhouse) May 25-June 25, press night May 27. Max Alexander-Taylor performs Benjamin Scheuer’s autobiographically-inspired one-man guitar folk musical, telling a true story of survival. Previously seen in London, New York and other cities around North America performed by Scheuer himself, this is the show’s first revival. Directed by Alex Stenhouse and Sean Daniels, it is produced by Danielle Tarento in association with Arizona Theatre Company, of which Daniels is artists director, and where it will play after its London run. Daniels, who also directed the original production, commented, “I am delighted to be back in the world of The Lion, a project Benjamin and I started eight years ago as he first told me his own personal and inspiring story. ATC and I are honoured to be working with Danielle Tarento on this award-winning musical. For me, this piece reminds me that great and redemptive things can come from awful things, and that the bonds between parents and children are with us a lifetime.” Press contact: Kevin Wilson. www.southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/the-little/the-lion

• Tuesday May 31:

LONDON: The Glass Menagerie (Duke of York’s) May 23, 2022-August 28, 2022, opening night May 31. Amy Adams makes her West End debut to star as Amanda Wingfield in a new production of the Tennessee Williams classic, directed by Jeremy Herrin, former artistic director of Headlong and deputy artistic director of the Royal Court, in the first production of Second Half Productions, of which he is a director. In a press statement, he has said: “I can’t wait to work with such a talented cast led by the brilliantly transformative Amy Adams on one of the best plays ever written. Tennesse Williams’ masterpiece is a delicate work of genius and I look forward to working with a world class creative team including Vicki Mortimer, Paule Constable and Ash J Woodward to allow the play to resonate in a fresh and exciting way. I’m grateful to the Williams’ estate who have allowed me to split the role of Tom Wingfield – and thrilled to have cast Paul Hilton to play him, and Tom Glynn-Carney to play his younger self.” The cast will also include Tom Glynn-Carney and the professional debut of Lizzie Annis. Press contact: Kate Hassall at Bread and Butter PR. https://theglassmenageriewestend.com/

• Wednesday June 1:

LONDON: Britannicus (Lyric Hammersmith) May26-June 25, press night June 1. Atri Banerjee, resident director at the Almeida, directs Racine’s tragedy of monarchy, dictatorship and depravity, in a version translated and adapted by Timberlake Wertenbaker. Press contact: Su-Ann Cow-Seegoolam at Lyric Hammersmith. https://lyric.co.uk/shows/britannicus/

• Sunday June 12:

NEW YORK: The 75th Tony Awards (Radio City Music Hall) June 12. The 2022 Tony Awards will be held at Radio City Music Hall, with nominations due to be announced May 3. The awards will honour the 2021-2022 Broadway season, with productions opening between February 20, 2020 (one day following the cut-off eligibility date for last year’s honours) and April 28, 2022 eligible for nominations. The awards will be shows live on CBS from 8pm-11pm EST, and streamed live and on demand on Paramount+, which will also host a preview programme only on Paramount+ preceding the ceremony, from 7pm-8pm EST. Press contact: Slate PR, tonyawardspr@slate-pr.com. For details, visit https://www.tonyawards.com/

• Wednesday June 15

LONDON: Jitney (Old Vic) Co-produced with Headlong and Leeds Playhouse, Tinuke Craig’s production of August Wilson’s play was first seen in Leeds last October. The cast will include Geoff Aymer, Leanne Henlon, Wil Johnson, Leemore Marrett Jr and Tony Marshall. The eighth in Wilson’s Pittsburgh cycle, it was originally premiered on Broadway in 2017. Set in an unlicenced cab office in the city, the play explores the fragile bond between eight men as they live, love and work in a racially segregated, post-Vietnam America. After the Old Vic, it will tour to Oldham Coliseum (July 13-16), Worthing’s Connaught (July 19-23 and Bath Theatre Royal (July 26-30). Press contacts: Katie Marsh,Armani Ur-Rub at Old Vic. https://headlong.co.uk/productions/jitney/

• Thursday June 16:

LONDON A Doll’s House, Part 2 (Donmar Warehouse) June 10-August 6, press night June 16. Lucas Hnath’s play, originally premiered on Broadway in 2017, receives its European premiere, in a new production direct by James Macdonald. Noma Dumezwini will return to the London stage as Nora Helmer in this play that picks up where Ibsen’s play left off, when Nora slammed the door on her marriage and left her family behind. Press contact: Kate Morley, kate@katemorleypr.com. Website: https://booking.donmarwarehouse.com/events/1647529276

• Friday June 17:

LONDON King Lear (Shakespeare’s Globe) June 10-July 24, press night June 17. Twenty-five years after their original, ground-breaking production, Helena Kaut-Howson, movement director Marcello Magni and Kathryn Hunter reunite to bring King Lear to a new generation. Hunter was the first British woman to play King Lear professionally and returns to the Globe after playing Richard III in 2003. The Globe’s Artistic Director Michelle Terry plays Cordelia and the Fool, and Magni plays Kent. Also joining the cast are Ryan Donaldson, Emma Ernest, Max Keeble, Glyn Pritchard, Marianne Oldham, Ann Ogbomo, Mark Jax and Diego Matamoros. Press contact: Claudia Conway, Jessica Strawson at the Globe. https://www.shakespearesglobe.com/whats-on/king-lear-2022/

REGIONAL:The Southbury Child (Chichester Festival Theatre) June 13-25, press night June 17, then transferring to London’s Bridge Theatre from July 1-August 27. Alex Jennings leads the cast of Nicholas Hytner’s production of a new play by Stephen Beresford about family, faith, tradition and tolerance in a rapidly changing world. Press contact: Lucinda Morrison at Chichester. https://www.cft.org.uk/whats-on/event/the-southbury-child

• Monday June 20:
  

LONDON: The Witches of Eastwick (Sondheim Theatre) One night concert version of The Witches of Eastwick will be directed by Maria Friedman (who co-starred in the original London production at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in 2000 as Suki), and will star Giles Terera (Olivier award winner for Hamilton) as Daryl Van Horne. Book and lyrics are by John Dempsey and music by Dana P. Rowe, based on the novel by John Updike and the Warner Brothers motion picture. It is being produced by Jack Maple, by arrangement with original producer Cameron Mackintosh; in a press statement, Mackintosh has commented, “I’m really thrilled that Jack Maple is conjuring up the wickedly funny WITCHES OF EASTWICK again, for one night only in concert with a glorious cast at the Sondheim Theatre.  It has always been one of my favourite scores, which I’m very much looking forward to hearing in its full splendour.” Press contact: Alexandra Buchanan at Amanda Malpass PR, alex@amandamalpass.com

• Tuesday June 21:

LONDON: Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World (Theatre Royal Stratford East) June 15-July 17, press night June 21. New pop musical, adapted by Chris Bush with lyrics by Bush and Jennifer Decilveo and music by Miranda Cooper and Decliveo, is brought to the stage by director Amy Hodge, in a co-production with Kenny Wax Family Entertainment in association with Mast Mayflower Studios. Press contact: James Lever at Jo Allan PR. https://fantasticallygreatwomenthemusical.com/

• Wednesday June 22:
  

REGIONAL: Rock/ Paper /Scissors (Sheffield Theatres: The Crucible, Lyceum and Studio respectively) June 14-July 2, press day June 22, 11.30am, 2.30pm, 7.30pm. Three new plays by Chris Bush are premiered in each of the theatre’s three auditoria, with the same cast performing each simultaneously — as with Ayckbourn’s House and Garden (though that was staged in only two theatres simultaneously), one a character exists one stƒage, they arrive on another. The three interlinked but standalone plays will tell the story of Sheffield’s oldest scissor manufacturer and the three generations who go to war over what happens to the factory site. They will be directed by artistic director Robert Hastie, associate artistic director Anthony Lan and a third director to be announced. Press contact: James Lever at Jo Allan PR. https://www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk/events/rock; https://www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk/events/paper; https://www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk/events/scissors

• Thursday June 23:

LONDON: The Fellowship (Hampstead Theatre) June 17-July 23, press night June 23. Paulette Randall directs the world premiere of Roy Williams’s play about children of the Windrush generation. Press contact: Clare McCormack at Hampstead. https://www.hampsteadtheatre.com/whats-on/2022/the-fellowship/

• Friday June 24:

LONDON: Beauty and the Beast (London Palladium) June 24-September 17. Disney Theatrical Productions’s revival of its first long-running Broadway adaptation of one of its film titles (the Oscar-winning 1991 animated feature of Beauty and the Beast, with music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice , which first opened on Broadway in 1994 and ran to 2007, comes to London for a summer season as part of its current UK national tour. A West End transfer of the original Broadway production played at the Dominion Theatre from 1997 to 1999. The production will feature Courtney Stapleton and Shaq Taylor in the title roles, with Sam Bailey as Cogsworth and Gavin Lee as Gaston (pictured above). Press contact: David Bloom at Storyhouse PR. https://www.beautyandthebeastmusical.co.uk/

• Sunday June 26:

LONDON: Madhouse (Ambassadors Theatre) June 15-September 4, press night June 26. David Barbour and Bill Pullman (pictured above) return to London to star in the world premiere of Theresa Rebeck’s play, set at a family reunion where siblings arrive to pay their last (dis)respects to their dying father, as they seek to work out how much money Dad actually has left and how they’re getting their hands on it. It is directed by Moritz von Stuelpnagel, who previously directed Rebek’s Bernhardt/Hamlet for New York’s Roundabout Theatre Company. Pullman was last seen on the London stage in All My Sons at the Old Vic, and Harbgour was in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? at the Apollo.  Press contact: Georgie Grant at Kate Morley PR. georgie@katemorleypr.com

• Thursday June 30:

REGIONAL: Richard III (Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon) June 23-October 8, press night June 30. Artistic director Gregory Doran directs Arthur Hughes (pictured above), who previously appeared in The RSC’s War of the Roses in 2022, in the title role. In a press statement, Hughes commented, “It’s no exaggeration to say that playing Richard at the RSC is a dream come true. Richard is the most murderous and charismatic character in Shakespeare’s plays, and… he’s disabled!  I’m thrilled not only to be playing this title role at the RSC, but also that a major production of this play is putting disability centre stage. It’s sadly rare in many plays to find a leading disabled character, and with this production I hope we prove that disabled talent deserves to be in the spotlight.” Sets and costumes are by Stephen Brimson Lewis. Press contact: Kate Evans at the RSC. https://www.rsc.org.uk/richard-iii/

LONDON: Favour (Bush Theatre) June 24-August 6, press night June 30. Co-commissioned and co-presented by the Bush and Clean Break, Ambreen Razi’s play about duty, addiction, and the battle of putting yourself back together is co-directed by Róisín McBrinn and Sophie Dillon-Moniram . Press contact: Martin Shippen, martinshippen@bushtheatre.co.uk. Website: https://www.bushtheatre.co.uk/event/favour/

• Wednesday July 6:

LONDON: The Seagull (Harold Pinter Theatre) June 29-September 10, press night July 6. Jamie Lloyd’s revival of Chekhov’s play, in a version by Anya Reiss, that was forced to shut down during previews when it was originally premiered in 2020, owing to COVID, returns, with Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke making her West End theatrical debut as Nina. The cast also includes Daniel Monks as Konstantin, Indira Varma as Arkadina, and Sophie Wu as Masha. Press contact: Freya Cowdry at Kate Morley PR. https://www.haroldpintertheatre.co.uk/shows/the-seagull

• Thursday July 14:

LONDON: Jack Absolute Flies Again (National’s Olivier Theatre) previews from July 2, press night July 14. New comedic version of Sheridan’s The Rivals, co-written by Richard Bean and Oliver Chris (who co-starred in the National’s original production of One Man, Two Guvnors, also adapted by Richard Bean). Emily Burns directs a cast that includes Laurie Davidson as Jack Absolute, Caroline Quentin as Mrs Malaprop, Natalie Simpson, Kevin Fletcher, and Kerry Howard. Press contact: Louise Terry. https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/shows/jack-absolute-flies-again

• FrIday July 15:

LONDON: Anything Goes (Barbican Theatre) July 15-September 3, and touring before. Last summer’s hit import of director/choreographer Kathleen Marshall’s 2011 Broadway revival of the 30s Cole Porter/PG Wodehouse musical returns to the Barbican for a summer season, preceded by a spring tour to Bristol Hippodrome (April 11-16), Liverpool Empire (April 20-30), Edinburgh Playhouse (May 11-21) and Canterbury’s Marlowe Theatre (May 24-June 4). The cast will be led by Kerry Ellis as Reno Sweeney, with Denis Lawson as Moonface Martin, Simon Callow as Elisha Whitney and Bonnie Langford as Evengeline Harcourt. Reprising their co-starring roles in this year’s UK tour and Barbican season are Samuel Edwards as Billy Crocker, Carly Mercedes Dyer as Erma, Nicole-Lily Baisden as Hope Harcourt and Haydn Oakley as Lord Evelyn Oakleigh. Further casting is still to be announced. Press contact: Neil Reading at Neil Reading PR. https://anythinggoesmusical.co.uk/

• Monday July 18:

LONDON: Much Ado About Nothing (National’s Lyttelton Theatre). Simon Godwin, who directed the NT’s filmed version of Romeo and Juliet during lockdown, directs Katherine Parkinson as Beatrice and John Heffernan as Benedict in a production set in the Italian Rivera at the frictional Hotel Messina.. Previews from July 7, opens July 18. Press contact: Sophie Wilkinson. https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/shows/much-ado-about-nothing

• Tuesday July 19:

REGIONAL: Crazy for You (Chichester Festival Theatre) July 11-September 4, press night July 19. Susan Stroman, who choreographed the original Broadway production of the overhaul of Gershwin’s Girl Crazy interpolating other songs from the catalogue of George and Ira Gershwin’s catalogue, now directs and choreographs a brand-new production to celebrate the show’s 30th anniversary. The cast includes Richard Stemp as Bobby, and Tom Edden as Bela Zangler. Press contact: Lucinda Morrison at Chichester. https://www.cft.org.uk/whats-on/event/crazy-for-you

• Wednesday July 20:

LONDON: Closer (Lyric Hammersmith) July 14-August 13, press night July 20. Claire Lizzimore directs a new production of Patrick Marber’s play about a tangle of relationships amongst modern Londoners that originally premiered at the National before going on to West End and Broadway runs, and being made into a feature film. Press contact: Su-Ann Cow-Seegoolam at Lyric Hammersmith. https://lyric.co.uk/shows/closer/

LONDON: Sister Act (Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith, July 20-August 29, then touring) Originally scheduled for 2020 and then again for 2021, this revival of the musical version of Sister Act finally opens in London, followed by a regional tour. The cast will be led in London by Jennifer Saunders as the Mother Superior, who will also continue at Southampton, Manchester, Birmingham and Cardiff, with other dates played by Lesley Joseph. Saunders is joined by Beverley Knight, Keala Settle, Clive Rowe and Lizzie Bea in principal roles in London. Press contact: Simon Raw, Emily Webb or Daniel O’Carroll at Raw PR, simon@rawpr.co.uk,  emily@rawpr.co.uk, daniel@rawpr.co.uk. Full tour dates: https://sisteractthemusical.co.uk/uk-tour/

• Thursday July 21:

BROADWAY: The Kite Runner (Hayes Theatre) July 6-October 30, opening night July 21. Giles Croft’s stage production of Khaled Hosseini’s best-selling 2003 novel, adapted by Matthew Spangler, originally seen at Nottingham Playhouse and which has had two West End runs, transfers to Broadway for a summer season. Press contact: Jackie Green at Boneau/Bryan-Brown. http://thekiterunnerbroadway.com/

• Friday July 22:

L

LONDON: 101 Dalmatians (Open Air Theatre, Regent’s Park) July 12-August 28, press night July 22. New musical based n the book by Dodie Smith, with music and lyrics by Douglas Hodge and book by Johnny McKnight from a stage adaptation by Zinnie Harris. Kate Fleetwood stars as Cruela de Vil under Timothy Sheader’s direction, with choreography by Liam Steele and musical supervision by Sarah Travis. Press contact: James Lever at Jo Allan PR, james@joallanpr.com. Website: https://openairtheatre.com/production/101-dalmatians

• Wednesday July 27:

LONDON: South Pacific (Sadler’s Wells) July 27-August 28, then touring regionally. Last summer’s Chichester Festival revival of the Rodgers and Hammerstein 1949 musical masterpiece, directed by artistic director Daniel Evans, has a London season at Sadler’s Wells, prior to a UK and national tour that will visit Dublin (from September 13), then Newcastle, Birmingham, Glasgow, Cardiff, Nottingham, Edinburgh, Leeds and Canterbury. Prior to Sadler’s Wells, it will also play at Manchester’s Opera House from July 16-23. Julian Ovenden and Gina Beck will reprise their Chichester lead roles as Emile de Becque and Nellie Forbush respectively, joined by returning original cast members Rob Houchen as Lieutenant Joseph Cable, Joanna Ampil as Bloody Mary and Sera Maehara as Liat. Press contact: Simon Raw at Raw PR. https://southpacifishow.com

REGIONAL: Sing Yer Heart out for the Lads (Chichester’s Minerva Theatre) July 22-August 13, press night July 27. Roy Williams’ play, originally premiered at the National in 2002, is revived in a new production directed by Nicole Charles, who previously staged Emilia at the Globe and its subsequent West End transfe. Original cast members Kirsty J Curtis, Jennifer Daley, Michael Hodgson and Mark Springer return, with further casting to be announced. Press contact: Lucinda Morrison at Chichester. https://www.cft.org.uk/whats-on/event/sing-yer-heart-out-for-the-lads

• Friday July 29:

LONDON: The Tempest (Shakespeare’s Globe) July 22-October 22, press night July 29. Sean Holmes, Associate Artistic Director of the Globe, directs the Globe Ensemble including Peter Bourke, Rachel Hannah Clarke, George Fouracres, Nadi Kemp-Sayfi and Ciaran O’Brien.Press contact: Claudia Conway, Jessica Strawson at the Globe. https://www.shakespearesglobe.com/whats-on/the-tempest-2022/

• Tuesday August 2:

REGIONAL: Identical (Nottingham Playhouse) July 26-August 14, press night August 2. Trevor Nunn directs a new musical version of Erik Kästner’s novel The Parent Trap, featuring music and lyrics by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe (Honk!, Mary Poppins) and a book by Stuart Paterson. Press contact: David Burns at David Burns PR. https://nottinghamplayhouse.co.uk/events/identical/

• Thursday August 4:

LONDON: All of Us (National’s Dorfman Theatre).Previews from July 27, opens August 4. Francesca Martinez makes her National Theatre debut writing and starring in a new play exploring the human cost of abandoning those who struggle to fit in. Ian Rickson will direct. Press contact: Sophie Wilkinson. https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/shows/all-of-us

• Friday August 12:

LONDON: The Trials (Donmar Warehouse) August 12-27, press night to be announced. Natalie Abrahami directs the UK premiere of Dawn King’s play, that received its world première at the Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus in 2021. It is presented as a Donmar LOCAL production, combining young performers alongside leading actors to identify talent of the future and platform them and the issues that matter. Press contact: Kate Morley, kate@katemorleypr.com.

• Tuesday August 23:

REGIONAL: All’s Well That Ends Well (Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon) August 16-October 8, press night August 23. Blanche McIntyre’s directs a contemporary take on William Shakespeare’s play that is described as a production for “the social media generation” that explores “themes of romantic fantasy, toxic masculinity and consent.” It will be designed by Robert Innes Hopkins. Press contact: Kate Evans at the RSC. https://www.rsc.org.uk/alls-well-that-ends-well

• Thursday August 25:
  

REGIONAL: Into the Woods (Theatre Royal, Bath) August 19-September 10, 2022, press night August 25. Terry Gilliam co-directs Sondheim and Lapine’s 1987 Broadway fairytale musical that was originally due to be staged at the Old Vic, co-produced by Scenario Two, but cancelled after Gilliam’s remarks on transexuals caused theatre staff there to protest at his presence in the building. In a press statement, John Berry — co-director of Scenario Two with Anthony Lilley — commented, “Stephen Sondheim‘s recent death has led to a worldwide outpouring of love and appreciation for his unique genius. We feel privileged to be working on this wonderful work and we are extremely grateful to Steve and James Lapine for their support as we searched for a new home for this production.” Press contact: Mark Borkowski at Borkowski PR. https://www.theatreroyal.org.uk/event/into-the-woods/

• Wednesday August 31:

REGIONAL: The Narcissist (Chichester’s Minerva Theatre) August 26-September 24, press night August 31 Josh Seymour directs the premiere of Christopher Shinn’s new play about personal and political communication in the internet age. Press contact: Lucinda Morrison at Chichester. https://www.cft.org.uk/whats-on/event/the-narcissist

• Thursday September 1:

LONDON: Joan (Shakespeare’s Globe) August 25-October 22, press night September 1. Written by Charlie Josephine and directed by Ilinca Radulian, this new play rediscovers the story of the unexpected leader, Joan of Arc. Press contact: Claudia Conway, Jessica Strawson at the Globe. https://www.shakespearesglobe.com/whats-on/the-tempest-2022/

• Friday September 2:

REGIONAL: Mrs Doubtfire (Manchester Opera House) September 2-October 1, 2022. This new musical, which opened on Broadway in December, is based on the 1993 film; it will receive its UK premiere in Manchester. Press contact: Lewis Jenkins at Storyhouse PR. https://www.mrsdoubtfiremusical.co.uk/

REGIONAL: Family Album (Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough) September 2-October 1. Alan Ayckbourn directs and writes his 87th play at the Stephen Joseph Theatre, where he was formerly a long-time artistic director. The new play chronicles the trials, tribulations and temptations of three generations of one family across 70 years in the same home. Set in a moving-in day in 1952, a birthday party in 1992 and a moving-out day in 2022, it revolves around RAF veteran John and housewife Peggy as they proudly move into the first home they can really call their own; daughter Sandra, frantically negotiating the challenges of a 10-year-old’s birthday party without her AWOL husband; and grandaughter Alison, finally escaping the house she has somewhat unwillingly inherited. Press contact: Jennie Swales, jeannie.swales@sjt.uk.com. https://www.sjt.uk.com/event/1324/family_album.

• Monday September 6;

LONDON: Silence (Donmar Warehouse) September 1-17, press night September 6. Abdul Shayek, artistic director of Tara Theatre, directs a co-production of his company and the Donmar in a new play adapted from Kavita Puri’s Partition Voices: Untold British Stories, co-written by Sonali Bhattacharyya, Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti, Ishy Din and Alexandra Wood. It is inspired by the remarkable personal testimonies of people who lived through the last days of the British Raj. Press contact: Kate Morley, kate@katemorleypr.com.

• Wednesday September 8:

REGIONAL: Kinky Boots (New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich, then Queen’s Theatre, Hornchurch) September 1-24, press night September 8; then Hornchurch, September 28-October 22, press night September 29. Cyndi Lauper and Harvey Fierstein’s hit 2013 Broadway stage version of the 2005 film is revived in a new production, directed by Tim Jackson, that is being co-produced by Ipswich and Hornchurch. Douglas Rintoul, who is departing Hornchurch to become chief executive at Ipswich, comments, “I can’t think of a better way to mark the start of my new role at the New Wolsey Theatre than with this very special regional premiere. Made by my favourite theatres, and directed by a supremely talented director, Kinky Boots is going to be a smart and gloriously uplifting night out.” Press contact: Aeron James, aeron@aeronjames.com

• Wednesday September 14

LONDON: The P Word (Bush Theatre) September 9-October 22, press night September 14. Waleed Akhtar’s play, a Bush commission, charts the parallel lives of two gay Pakistani men. It is directed by Anthony Simpson-Pike. Press contact: Martin Shippen, martinshippen@bushtheatre.co.uk. https://www.bushtheatre.co.uk/event/the-p-word/

• Saturday September 24:

LONDON: The Band’s Visit (Donmar Warehouse) September 24-December 3 (press night to be announced). David Yazbek and Itamar Moses’s 2017 Tony winning musical, based on the 2007 Oscar-winning film of the same name, comes to London, in a new production that will be directed by the Donmar’s artistic director Michael Longhurst. Press contact: Kate Morley, kate@katemorleypr.com. Website: https://booking.donmarwarehouse.com/events/1647527967

• Tuesday September 27:

LONDON: Blues for an Alabama Sky (National’s Lyttelton Theatre). Previews from September 20, press night September 27. Lynette Linton, artistic director of the Bush, makes her NT directing debut with Pearl Cleague’s play. Set in 1930 during the Harlem renaissance, t is about four friends whose lives and passions collide when a newcomer from Alabama arrives. The cast comprises Samira Wiley (pictured), Ronkẹ Adékoluẹjo, Osy Ikhile, Sule Rimi and Giles Terera.  Press contact: Louisa Terry

• Wednesday September 28:

REGIONAL: Woman in Mind (Chichester Festival Theatre) September 23-October 15, press night September 28. Justin Martin directs a new production of Alan Ayckbourn’s play about a woman undergoing a nervous breakdown. It was originally premiered in Scarborough in 1985 and subsequently transferred to the West End in 1986, where the cast was led by Julia McKenzie. A 2008 revival of the play at Scarborough, starring Janie Dee, also transferred to the West End in 2009. Press contact: Lucinda Morrison at Chichester. https://www.cft.org.uk/whats-on/event/woman-in-mind

REGIONAL: Noises Off (Bath Theatre Royal) September 21-October 1, press night September 28. Felicity Kendal stars in Lindsay Posner’s revival of Michael Frayn’s backstage comedy, which will play in Bath, Richmond, Brighton and Cambridge before a planned return to the West End. Lindsay Posner, who directed the last London revival of the play at the Old Vic in 2011 that subsequently transferred to the Piccadilly, will direct. He previously directed Kendal in a revival of Coward’s Hay Fever. Press contact:
Lewis Jenkins at Storyhouse PR, lewis.jenkins@storyhousepr.co.uk

• Thursday September 29:

LONDON: John Gabriel Borkman (Bridge Theatre) September 24-November 26, press night September 29. Simon Russell Beale plays the title role in a new production of Ibsen’s play, presented in a new version by Lucinda Croxon, that will be directed by Nick Hytner. Beale was previously seen at the Bridge in A Christmas Carol and Bach & Sons, both also directed by Hytner. Press contact: Janine Shalom at Premier PR. Janine.shalom@premiercomms.com or grace.barber@premiercomms.com Website: https://bridgetheatre.co.uk/whats-on/john-gabriel-borkman/

REGIONAL: The Famous Five (Theatr Clwyd) September 23-October 15, press night September 29, then Chichester Festival Theatre, October 21-November 12, press night October 25). New musical based on the books of Enid Blyton will be directed by Clwyd’s artistic director Tamara Harvey, in a co-production with Chichester Festival Theatre where it will play after Clywd. Music and lyrics are by Theo Jamieson, with book by Elinor Cook. Press contact: Lucinda Morrison at Chichester. https://www.cft.org.uk/whats-on/event/the-famous-five

Monday October 17:

REGIONAL: Local Hero (Chichester’s Minerva Theatre) October 8-November 19, press night October 17. Chichester artistic director Daniel Evans directs a new musical based on Bill Forsyth’s 1983 film, with a book by David Greig, and songs by Mark Knopfler (formerly of pop group Dire Straits). Press contact: Lucinda Morrison at Chichester. https://www.cft.org.uk/whats-on/event/local-hero

Sunday November 6

REGIONAL: Cinderella (Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester) November 1-December 11, press night November 6. The revised 2013 Broadway version of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s 1950s television musical Cinderella is to receive its UK premiere at Manchester’s Hope Mill Theatre. Venue founders Joseph Houston and William Whelton will direct and choreograph respectively, with Whelton also co-directing.Press contact: Kate Goerner KateGoernerPR@outlook.com. Website: https://hopemilltheatre.co.uk/events/cinderella

• Wednesday November 23:

LONDON: A Christmas Carol (Old Vic) November 12-January 7, press night November 23. Presented in Jack Thorne’s version that was first seen at the Old Vic in 2017 and has made annual returns ever since, this stage adaptation of Dickens’s seasonal tale returns once again for a run from Matthew Warchus directs. Press contacts: Katie Marsh,Armani Ur-Rub at Old Vic. https://www.oldvictheatre.com/whats-on/2022/watch-at-the-theatre/a-christmas-carol-6

Monday November 28:

LONDON: Disney’s Newies (Troubadour Wembley Park), from November 28. Matt Cole directs and choreographs the UK professional premiere of the stage version of the Disney live-action film. It was originally seen on Broadway in 2012; it received its British premiere in a student production at ArtsEd that starred Jac Yarrow in 2019; he went on to make his professional debut in the title role of Joseph and the Amazing Techicolor Dreamcoat at the London Palladium later the same year!   Press contact: Alexandra Buchanan alex@amandamalpass.com Website: https://newsiesthemusical.co.uk/

• Thursday December 1

LONDON: Mother Goose (Hackney Empire) November 19-December 31, press night December 1. Clive Rowe directs and stars in Hackney’s annual pantomime, where he has become a fixture. In a press statement, he commented, “I’m incredibly proud, in Hackney Empire’s 120th birthday year, to be directing and playing Mother Goose, which was first created for music hall legend Dan Leno 120 years ago. Big shoes to fill but I will do my very best to make the walls shake with the love and laughter we’ve come to expect from Hackney’s pantomime.” Press contact: Laura Myers/Alice Rickett at About Grace PR, laura@aboutgracepr.com  / alice@aboutgracepr.com. Website: https://hackneyempire.co.uk/whats-on/mother-goose/

POSTPONED PRODUCTIONS (DATES TBC)

• Sunday in the Park with George (Savoy) Jake Gyllenhaal and Annaleigh Ashford reprise their roles from the Broadway revival

• Good (Pinter) David Tennant in a revival of CP Taylor’s play originally premiered at the Donmar Warehouse under the RSC’s auspices in the 1980s.

• 4,000 Miles (Old Vic) Eileen Atkins and Timothée Chalamet are due to star in Amy Herzog’s Pulitzer nominated play.

• The Doctor (Duke of York’s) Juliet Stevenson in Rob Icke’s production originally seen at the Almeida.