Welcome to today’s edition of ShentonSTAGE Daily that is e-mailed to subscribers every morning (to subscribe, send message to ShentonStageMailingList@gmail.com), and is also available online here.

THAT WAS THE WEEK THAT WAS…
My weekly THAT WAS THE WEEK THAT WAS round-up of my columns, reviews and tweets of the theatre week just gone is here.

Including Ian McKellen in THE CHERRY ORCHARD at the Theatre Royal Windsor (pictured above)

TO READ IN FULL, CLICK HERE:
https://shentonstage.com/that-was-the-week-that-was-october-11-17/

THIS WEEK’S OPENINGS/RE-OPENINGS

Wednesday October 20

• Get Up Stand Up! – The Bob Marley Musical (Lyric Theatre) With a script by Lee Hall (Billy Elliot), direction by Clint Dyer (deputy artistic director of the National Theatre) and Arinzé Kene (as Bob Marley), this musical will feature such Marley standards as ‘Exodus’, ‘No Woman No Cry’, ‘Waiting in Vain’, ‘Three Little Birds’, ‘I Shot the Sheriff’, ‘Could You Be Loved’ and ‘Redemption Song’.  Press contact: Ben Chamberlain at Bread and Butter PR. https://getupstandupthemusical.com

Thursday October 21

• The Shark is Broken (Ambassadors) October 9-January 15 (press performances October 19-21, with review embargoed to midnight October 21). An Edinburgh Fringe hit in 2019 that goes behind-the-scenes of the making of Spielberg’s Jaws transfers to the West End’s Ambassadors Theatre, produced by Sonia Friedman Productions. It is co-written and performed by Ian Shaw, son of Jaws star Robert Shaw who also plays his father, and Joseph Nixon. Press contact: Chloe Pritchard-Gordon or Laura Myers at About Grace PR, chloe@aboutgracepr.com; laura@Aboutgracepr.com. https://thesharkisbroken.com/

• ALSO THURSDAY: Magic Goes Wrong (Apollo Theatre) Mischief Theatre’s latest West End show, which was running at the Vaudeville when theatres shut down in March 2020, will resume performances at the Apollo from October 21, to complete its West End run to February 27. Press contacts: Jo Allan and Hannah Stockton at Jo Allan PR. http://www.magicgoeswrong.com

PREVIEWING

• Pride & Prejudice * (* Sort of) (Criterion Theatre, now previewing, opens November 2. Isobel McArthur’s retelling of Jane Austen comes to the West End, after originally premiering at Glasgow’s Tron Theatre. Press contact: Amanda Malpass. https://prideandprejudicesortof.com

RETURNING TO NEW YORK AT LAST…

I last visited New York in October 2019, and had a trip booked to go back in March 2020. But then Broadway was shut down just a few days before I was due to make my trip, and I didn’t go.

Since then, the borders have been entirely shut to Europeans; but as of last Friday, it was announced that we’d be let back in from Monday November 8. Last night, I duly booked my first flight back, to depart on Tuesday November 9 — using the new JetBlue service from Gatwick (which is far more local to me than Heathrow now!)

Other Brits — and British-originated shows — have got to Broadway ahead of me, including the National’s slightly re-cast version of THE LEHMAN TRILOGY (Adrian Lester standing in for Ben Miles, who of course is now leading his own co-adaptation of The Mirror and the Light in the West End, which opened officially last week), and Sharon D Clarke, reprising her Chichester/Hampstead performance in CAROLINE, OR CHANGE (pictured above, now in previews ahead of opening officially on October 27), both of which I can’t wait to see again.

Also on my list: the Broadway transfer of SIX, which has also already opened to rave reviews; and the Broadway return of the West End originated revival of COMPANY (resuming performances from November 15).

Plus in the homegrown corner: DIANA THE MUSICAL (that I’ve already seen on Netflix now, but want to see in person just to be able to believe my own eyes and ears, pictured above) and the new musical based on MRS DOUBTFIRE. both of which were previewing when Broadway was shut down last year.

And Off-Broadway, I’m dying to see Douglas Carter Beane’s new play FAIRYCAKES (at Greenwich House Theatre), Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey’s new musical THE VISITOR (at the Public), and a revival of ASSASSINS at Classic Stage Company. Kitt also has another new musical FLYING OVER SUNSET premiering at Lincoln Center. So I’m going to have a busy time!