NEW SHOWS FOR 2018
JERSEY BOYS
UK & Ireland Tour
From 16 December 2017 to 30 March 2019.
JERSEY BOYS is the remarkable true story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons and their rise to stardom from the wrong side of the tracks. Starring Michael Watson as Frankie Valli, Simon Bailey as Tommy De Vito, Declan Egan as Bob Gaudio and Lewis Griffiths as Nick Massi, the show is packed with hits, including Beggin’, Sherry, Walk Like A Man, December, 1963 (Oh What a Night), Big Girls Don’t Cry, My Eyes Adored You, Let’s Hang On (To What We’ve Got), Bye Bye Baby, Can’t Take My Eyes Off You, Working My Way Back to You, Fallen Angel, Rag Doll and Who Loves You. JERSEY BOYS is the winner of 57 major awards worldwide including Broadway’s Tony, London’s Olivier and Australia’s Helpmann Awards for Best New Musical.
Duration: 2 hours 40 minutes
www.jerseyboysuktour.com
STRANGERS IN BETWEEN
Trafalgar Studios 2
10 January to 3 February 2018
The West End transfer of the King’s Head Theatre’s production of Tommy Murphy’s coming-of-age dark comedy, which tells the story of Shane, a timid 16 year-old who has fled his rural hometown for the glitz and glamour of Sydney’s King’s Cross, in order to escape his troubled past and attempt to establish an urban family. Directed by the King’s Head Theatre’s Artistic Director, Adam Spreadbury-Maher, STRANGERS IN BETWEEN looks at the importance of friendship and the highs and lows of growing up gay in modern Australia. The cast includes Roly Botha as Shane, Dan Hunter as Will and Stephen Connery-Brown as Peter.
Duration: 1 hour 45 minutes
www.atgtickets.com/venues/traf
ALL OR NOTHING – THE MOD MUSICAL
Arts Theatre
6 February to 11 March 2018
Based on the story of the Small Faces, ALL OR NOTHING is written and directed by the award-winning actress Carol Harrison. It follows the story of four charismatic young kids from East London with humour, attitude, passion and, above all, talent. They became the Small Faces and were rocketed into the big time, only to discover the path to success is paved with exploitation, betrayal and, ultimately, tragedy. Starring Carol Harrison as Kay Marriott and Chris Simmons as the older Steve Marriott.
Duration: 2 hours 35 minutes
www.allornothingmusical.com
ART
UK & Ireland Tour
From 14 February to 9 June 2018
UK & Ireland Tour of the Old Vic production of Yasmina Reza’s Olivier, Tony and Moliere award-winning comedy ART, translated by Christopher Hampton. Starring Nigel Havers, Denis Lawson and Stephen Tompkinson as Serge, Marc and Ivan respectively. Based on the original production by Matthew Warchus, ART will be directed by Ellie Jones, with design by Mark Thompson.
Duration: 100 minutes (no interval)
arttheplay.com
SOME MOTHERS DO ‘AVE ‘EM
UK Tour
From 21 February to 28 July 2018
Joe Pasquale stars as the lovable but accident-prone Frank Spencer in the first ever stage production of the classic 1970s TV comedy, SOME MOTHER DO ‘AVE ‘EM. Also starring Sarah Earnshaw (Nativity – The Musical, Travels With My Aunt, Spamalot and Wicked) as his long-suffering wife Betty and Susie Blake (ITV’s Coronation Street and BBC1’s Mrs Brown’s Boys) as his disapproving mother-in-law, Mrs Fisher. Based on the original TV series by Raymond Allen, the stage adaptation is written and directed by Guy Unsworth, with design by Simon Higlett.
www.somemothersdoaveem.com
THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST
UK Tour
From 24 February to 28 April
Starring Gwen Taylor as Lady Bracknell and Susan Penhaligon as Miss Prism in Oscar Wilde’s greatly admired and much loved comedy, THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST, which follows Jack Worthing’s endeavours to marry Algernon’s cousin, the beautiful Gwendolen. But first he must convince the fearsome Lady Bracknell of his respectability. Directed by The Original Theatre Company’s Artistic Director, Alastair Whatley.
www.originaltheatre.com
BRIEF ENCOUNTER
Empire Cinema Haymarket, London from 2 March to 2 September 2018 (preceded by a two-date tour from 2 to 24 February 2018)
Kneehigh’s award-winning production of Noël Coward’s BRIEF ENCOUNTER, adapted and directed by Emma Rice, returns to London’s West End, following short runs at Birmingham Repertory Theatre and The Lowry, Salford. Switching between live action and film, Brief Encounterstars Jim Sturgeon as Alec and Isabel Pollen as Laura in one of the most haunting and heart-breaking love stories ever told.
Duration: 90 minutes (no interval)
www.briefencounterwestend.com
MONOGAMY
UK Tour from 2 to 26 May 2018
Park Theatre, London from 6 June to 7 July 2018
The world premiere of Torben Betts’s new play MONOGAMY, starring Olivier Award-winning actress, Janie Dee (Follies, Carousel, Comic Potential) as Caroline Mortimer, the nation’s favourite TV cook, who has it all. But beneath the immaculate furnishings and studio lighting and away from the glare of the ever-present cameras, Caroline must face the looming collision of living a private life in the public eye. What happens when the cameras turn off and the truth comes out? Directed by the Original Theatre Company’s Artistic Director, Alastair Whatley.
www.originaltheatre.com
THE RINK
Southwark Playhouse
25 May to 23 June 2018
The first London revival in 20 years of THE RINK by the Tony and Olivier Award-winning John Kander (music) and Fred Ebb (lyrics), the creators of musicals such as Chicago, Cabaret, Kiss of the Spider Woman, and The Scottsboro Boys, and a book by Tony Award-winning Terence McNally (Ragtime, Kiss of the Spider Woman, Master Class). THE RINK is the story of Anna, an Italian housewife who runs a roller-skating rink on the Eastern seaboard, is about to sell it to developers until her estranged daughter, Angel, returns after a long absence, hoping to save the rink and patch things up with her mother. Directed by Adam Lenson and choreographed by Fabian Aloise.
southwarkplayhouse.co.uk
CURRENT SHOWS
THE BAND
UK Tour
Currently touring until 14 July 2018, further dates to be added
The new British musical by Tim Firth with the music of Take That, starring Rachel Lumberg, Alison Fitzjohn, Emily Joyce and Jayne McKenna, along with AJ Bentley, Nick Carsberg, Curtis T Johns, Yazdan Qafouri and Sario Solomon, collectively known as Five To Five, winners of BBC’s Let It Shine, and Faye Christall, Katy Clayton, Rachelle Diedericks, Sarah Kate Howarth, Lauren Jacobs, Martin Miller and Andy Williams. THE BAND is a musical about what it’s like to grow up with a boyband. For five 16 year-old friends in 1992, ‘the band’ is everything. 25 years on, we are reunited with the group of friends, now 40-something women, as they try once more to fulfil their dream of meeting their heroes.
Duration: 2 hours 20 minutes
www.thebandmusical.com
MAMMA MIA!
Novello Theatre
Current booking period: 20 October 2018
From West End to global phenomenon, MAMMA MIA! is Judy Craymer’s ingenious vision of staging the story-telling magic of ABBA’s timeless songs with an enchanting tale of family and friendship unfolding on a Greek island paradise. To date, it has been seen by over 60 million people in 50 productions in 16 different languages grossing more than $2 billion at the box office. In 2017 the show celebrated its 18th London Birthday. The current cast stars Sara Poyzer as Donna Sheridan, Kate Graham as Tanya, Jacqueline Braun as Rosie and Georgina Castle as Sophie Sheridan.
Duration: 2 hours 35 minutes
http://www.mamma-mia.com/