Golders Green Hippodrome, London – 22 March 2025

Reviewed by Nadia Dodd

4****

CJ Harrison is one of the top UK Michael Jackson tribute artists. He stars alongside side his Man in The Mirror band and four female dancers.

CJ has been singing and dancing to the King of Pop music since the age of four and has been lucky enough to be starring in The Man in The Mirror show for the past 15 years.

The show is promoted by Entertainers and what an energetic and heartfelt tribute to Michael’s music. The audience was such a mixture of ages, so it was fantastic that the show covered a whole range of nostalgia from the Jackson 5 days, through to Bad era 1987 when I first discovered his music and onto his Dangerous album in 1992. The live band deserves such praise and credit for creating such an experience which elevated the complete production.

CJ’s dancers were equally as impressive, showcasing such skills that really complemented the performance.

The Smooth Criminal ‘lean forward’ was impactful and certainly a crowd pleaser and of course the ‘moonwalk’, CJ has certainly perfected his skills, looking and sounding like MJ himself.

The Jackson 5 section was of course bright and colourful with the background videos, the 70’s outfits and to compliment the upbeat rhythms. A group of the audience in the stalls took to their feet and were having their own mini disco, they were loving life.

CJ includes the audience in his show by going into the crowd, singing and dancing with them, although a few got a fright when the dancers dressed as the zombies from Thriller were dancing right in their faces and spooking a few of them, all in great humour and entertainment of course.

CJ dedicated the final section of his show to the songs that Michael sang that delivered such emotional and powerful messages to our world, wanting us to make the world a better place for all generations to come. Earth Song, Black and White, They Don’t Care About Us and Heal the World, listening to the words of those songs Michael cared so much about making the world a better place, to stop devastation, less war, less pollution. I thought this section was still so relevant even 30 years on.

Of course there’s an encore, of course it’s the name of the show, Man in The Mirror, a very much-loved favourite of mine. Such a fitting tribute to the King of Pop I would recommend anyone to watch this show. Extremely heartwarming to see some children in the audience possibly as young as 6 years old, some even wearing black sequin jackets and a black fedora hat, The King of Pop’s legacy will live on.

Wilton’s Music Hall, London – until 29th March 2025

Reviewed by Celia Armand Smith

3***

The inspiring life and legacy of Mary Woolstonecraft are examined in this new musical from writer Maureen Lennon. Mary and the Hyenas follows the trailblazing Mary as she moves from Yorkshire to London via Ireland and France. We see the relationships she had with men and women, and the friendships she made within philosophy and literary circles, her experience of the French Revolution, and her attempted suicide when things go awry after the birth of her first child. It’s a lot to unpack in 2 hours.

We first meet Mary Wollstonecraft (Laura Elsworthy) at the birth of her daughter Mary, who would go on to become Mary Shelley of Frankenstein fame. As she becomes feverish from complications due to childbirth and with only 10 days to live, she revisits all of the vital dates leading up to this point, accompanied by the grown up Mary Shelley (Ainy Medina) in tow.

Esther Richardson’s production moves at speed through the years of Mary’s life. Elsworthy is a loud and punky Mary, while the rest of the cast take on multiple roles. Kate Hampson is funny as the over the top English aristo in Ireland Lady Kingsborough, and quietly kind as future husband of Wollstonecraft, William Godwin. Beth Crane, Kat Johns-Burke, and Elexi Walker round out a very talented cast.

Mary Wollstonecraft did so much in her relatively short life and though it is celebrated in this play, at no point are we allowed to learn about or sit with her accomplishments. Loud, synthy songs by musician BIlly Nomates punctuate the narrative, but add very little, and the shift from spoken word to singing is jarring and takes you out of the moment.

There is a lot of potential in this show, and goodness knows we need more shows about important women in history to educate and to entertain. Mary and the Hyenas is a novel telling of an extraordinary life, and I am sure Mary Wollstonecraft would be delighted to know that this all female team was interpreting her life and ideas for a new audience.

The Vaults – until 18 July 2025

Reviewed by Jackie Thornton

5*****

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single woman in Regency England must be in want of… a very stiff drink. And so opens this rambunctious staging of Jane Austen’s most iconic work from a bunch of…well…Australians.

There’s something about the unapologetic drawl of our antipodean cousins’ accents that clashes wonderfully with the RP of Austen’s world, sending up the rich content a treat. Co produced by two giants in international touring musical theatre, Woodward Productions and Glass Half Full Productions, Plied and Prejudice squeezes over 300 pages into a brisk 90 minutes with heartfelt affection and warmth for the original text, playfully poking fun at the author’s plot holes and coincidences along the way.

Award winning director Dash Kruck and author Matt Semple are obviously massive fans of Austen and have plucked all the silliness, snobbery and hypocrisies of Regency England that she was so fond of satirising and elevated it into farce that edges towards pantomime. The result is positively hilarious as the confines of only having five outstanding cast members to play a bounty of characters sees these good eggs racing up and down the chequered catwalk style stage, throwing costumes on and off and contorting their bodies and voices to fit each role.

Tim Walker is hysterical as he flits between leading man Darcy and the three youngest Bennet sisters and Andrew Macmillan shows incredible versatility sliding between Bingley, Collins, Wickham and Mr Bennet. The stand out performance has to go to Emma Andreatta who deploys her clowning skills and elastic facial expressions to wondrous effect in playing Mrs Bennet, Lady Catherine de Bourgh and more.

Penny Challen’s set and costume design aid the role swapping massively with colourful print polyester gowns nodding at the Regency style yet lithe enough to be frequently changed.

Brigette Freeme displays excellent comic timing as protagonist Elizabeth Bennet as well as some lively dance moves while Monique Salles plays Jane Bennet and shows excellent wit in taking on the lion’s share of narration. Thankfully, for an immersive theatre show, audience participation is kept to a minimum with only a few victims spotlighted and some pantomime elicitation of boos.

If you’re planning on a boozy evening then drinks can be ordered straight to your seat
throughout the show.

This is a sublimely agile, witty and naughty celebration of Austen of which the great author herself would surely have wholeheartedly approved.

AGATHA CHRISTIE’S ICONIC THRILLER

THE MOUSETRAP

CELEBRATES 30,000 PERFORMANCES
IN THE WEST END AND EXTENDS
BOOKING TO SPRING 2026

ST MARTIN’S THEATRE, LONDON
uk.the-mousetrap.co.uk

Wednesday 19 March 2025, London: Agatha Christie’s iconic thriller The Mousetrap celebrates its 30,000^th performance in the West End today and further extends booking through to spring 2026. The genre-defining murder mystery opened in 1952 and continues to enthral audiences at London’s St Martin’s Theatre, more than 70 years on.

Marking the milestone, Guinness World Records adjudicator Will Munford presented the company with a certificate for the record title longest theatrical run. Craig Glenday, Editor in Chief says: “Guinness World Records has monitored this category from the very first edition in 1955. The Mousetrap overtook the previous holder in 1958 making it one of the all-time longest standing world records.”

Brian Fenty, Producer of The Mousetrap says: “As The Mousetrap celebrates its record-shattering 30,000th performance, I’m reminded daily of the timeless genius behind Agatha Christie’s work and her landmark Whodunnit. It’s an honour to carry forward this legacy, proof that remarkable storytelling can unite audiences across generations—and endure for decades to come.”

Continuing the celebrations, a special schools matinee performance was held with over 400 children from schools across London booked in to see the play this afternoon at the St. Martin’s Theatre.

The current cast of The Mousetrap includes Lara Lemon as Mollie Ralston, Harry Bradley as Giles Ralston, Richard Leeming as Christopher Wren, Rekha John-Cheriyan as Mrs Boyle, Owen Oakeshott as Major Metcalf, Grace Darling as Miss Casewell, Alasdair Buchan as Mr Paravicini, and Daniel Rainford as Detective Sgt. Trotter, Liv Koplick, Clive Marlowe, Richard Parnwell, Ben Riddle, and Cathryn Sherman.

As news spreads of a murder in London, a group of seven strangers find themselves snowed in at Monkswell Manor, a remote countryside guesthouse. When a police sergeant arrives, the guests discover – to their horror – that a killer is in their midst. One by one, the suspicious characters reveal their sordid pasts. Which one is the murderer? Who will be their next victim?

The Mousetrap is produced by Brian Fenty, directedby Philip Franks and the Artistic Director isDenise Silvey.

SPRING HAS COME AGAIN 

HADESTOWN

NEW BOOKING PERIOD ON SALE TODAY AT 12PM
FOR PERFORMANCES TO 15 FEBRUARY 2026

CONCORD THEATRICALS ANNOUNCE
HADESTOWN: TEEN EDITION

uk.hadestown.com

Thursday 20 March 2025: Spring has come again as Hadestownannounces that thecritically acclaimed production will extend its smash-hit run in the West End until 15 February 2026. Tickets for these new performances will go on sale today at 12pm noon.

Production photography is also released today of the new cast who began performances at the Lyric Theatre on 11 March 2025. Cast includes Desmonda Cathabel as Eurydice; Victoria Hamilton-Barritt as Persephone; Chris Jarman as Hades; Cedric Neal as Hermes; and Dylan Wood as Orpheus.

Melanie Bright, Allie Daniel and Lauran Rae play the Fates; Femi Akinfolarin, Michelle Andrews, Ollie Bingham, Laura Delany and Sebastian Lim-Seet play the Workers, with Lucinda Buckley, Juan Jackson, Oisín Nolan-Power, Lindo Shinda and Jasmine Triadi as Swings.

Concord Theatricals today announce that Hadestown: Teen Edition is now available for school and youth group productions in the UK and Ireland. Hadestown: Teen Edition is a full-length adaptation of Anaïs Mitchell’s record-breaking phenomenon Hadestown modified for teen actors to perform to family audiences. Licences for this special edition will include a score which has been suitably transposed for younger voices, expandable and flexible casting options and rehearsal / performance tracks. Available to secondary schools and youth groups in UK and Ireland, the show is recommended for actors aged between 13-19 years old; all performers must be 19 years old or under.  For information about Hadestown: Teen Edition concordsho.ws/hadestownteenuk

Blending American songwriting traditions, from indie folk, to pop, blues, and New Orleans-inspired jazz, Hadestown has music, lyrics, and book by acclaimed Tony® and Grammy®-winning singer-songwriter and BBC Radio 2 Folk Award-winner Anaïs Mitchell who originated Hadestown as an indie theatre project and acclaimed album, before transforming the show into a genre-defying new musical alongside artistic collaborator and Tony® Award-winning director Rachel Chavkin.

Hadestown takes you on an unforgettable journey to the underworld and back, intertwining two mythic love stories – that of young dreamers Orpheus and Eurydice, and that of King Hades and his wife Persephone.  A deeply resonant and defiantly hopeful theatrical experience, Hadestown invites you to imagine how the world could be.

The Hadestown creative team includes David Neumann (Choreography), Rachel Hauck (Scenic Design), Michael Krass (Costume Design), Bradley King (Lighting Design), Nevin Steinberg and Jessica Paz (Sound Design), Liam Robinson (Music Supervision and Vocal Arrangements), Michael Chorney and Todd Sickafoose (Arrangements and Orchestrations), Ken Cerniglia (Dramaturgy), Maria Crocker (UK Associate Director), and Tarek Merchant (Musical Director & Associate Music Supervisor). Casting by Jacob Sparrow.

Hadestownis produced in London by Mara Isaacs, Dale Franzen, Hunter Arnold, Tom Kirdahy and the National Theatre in association with JAS Theatricals.

All biographies for the cast, as well as information on Hadestown and how to buy tickets, can be found at uk.hadestown.com

AWARD WINNING MUSICAL

TO MAKE UK PREMIERE IN 2026

The award-winning musical to open as a fully staged UK production next year

This Saturday night, Jason Manford performs “It’s A Musical” from the show
on BBC 1’s Big Night of Musicals

Sign-up for all production information at www.kmjentertainment.com/something-rotten

Broadway and West End producers, Kevin McCollum of Alchemation and Joshua Andrews of JAS Theatricals, are pleased to announce that a fully staged production of the 10-time Tony Award nominated comedy musical Something Rotten! will make its UK premiere in 2026.

The production follows the acclaimed, sold-out concert performances of the show at Theatre Royal Drury Lane in 2024, which last month won the WhatsOnStage Award for Best Concert Event.

This weekend, renowned performer Jason Manford will perform one of the show’s most popular numbers “It’s A Musical”when he presents BBC’s Big Night of Musicals, which broadcasts on Saturday 22 March on BBC1.

All production information, including dates and cast, will be announced in due course.

To be first to receive information about the 2026 UK premiere production of Something Rotten!, sign up at www.kmjentertainment.com/something-rotten

Something Rotten! is the hilarious musical comedy with a book by John O’Farrell and Karey Kirkpatrick and music and lyrics by Karey and Wayne Kirkpatrick. Set in 1595, the story follows the Bottom brothers, Nick and Nigel, who struggle to find success in the theatrical world as they compete with the wild popularity of their contemporary, William Shakespeare. In desperation to finally win one over on their rival, they come up with the novel idea to write the world’s first ever musical!

The show ran for over 700 performances on Broadway and was nominated for 10 Tony Awards, including Best Musical. Hugely successful US Tours and various international productions have followed and in 2024 a UK concert version was presented over 3 performances at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, starring Jason Manford, Marisha Wallace, Gary Wilmot and Richard Fleeshman. The concert shows received rave reviews, as well as the 2025 WhatsOn Stage Award for Best Concert Event. 

Kevin McCollum and Joshua Andrews said:
“After the success of the Broadway run and American tour and the incredible response to the Drury Lane concerts we are excited to bring the show to the land of Shakespeare!”

FLORALS FOR SPRING? GROUNDBREAKING.
VANESSA WILLIAMS EXTENDING HER REIGN AS MIRANDA PRIESTLY?

FABULOUS!

WITH MUSIC BY ELTON JOHN,

LYRICS BY SHAINA TAUB AND MARK SONNENBLICK,

AND BOOK BY KATE WETHERHEAD

DIRECTED & CHOREOGRAPHED BY
THE MULTI AWARD-WINNING JERRY MITCHELL

BASED ON THE NOVEL BY LAUREN WEISBERGER AND THE HIT TWENTIETH CENTURY STUDIOS MOTION PICTURE

AT THE DOMINION THEATRE UNTIL 3 JANUARY 2026

That’s NOT all! Vanessa Williams will continue to guard the gates of the fashion empire at the Dominion Theatre, playing the irrepressible Miranda Priestly, until 18 October 2025.Best known for her celebrated roles in Ugly Betty and Desperate Housewives and as a multi-award-winning singer,she first donned Prada (and Pamella Roland) in Plymouth last summer and then opened in the West End at the end of last year.

Vanessa will continue to be joined by Olivier Award winner and Grammy nominated, Matt Henry (Kinky Boots; The Drifters Girl), MBE,as Runway’s Creative Fashion Director, Nigel, Georgie Buckland (Shrek The Musical; Bedknobs and Broomsticks) making her West End debut playing the driven Andy, Amy Di Bartolomeo (SIX; We Will Rock You) as the icy First Assistant to Miranda, Emily (for which she has received an Olivier Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical) and James Darch (Mamma Mia!; Wicked) as the devious journalist, Christian.

While Rhys Whitfield is on an agreed leave of absence, from Thursday 27 March Jamie Bogyo* (Moulin Rouge!; Aspects of Love) will star as Andy’s long-term boyfriend, Nate for a limited season.

Completing the cast are: Maddy Ambus, Gabby Antrobus, Selena Barron, Pamela Blair, Robertina Bonano, Josh Damer-Jennings, Lloyd Davies, Elishia Edwards, Akeem Ellis-Hyman, Jinny Gould, Natasha Heyward, Samuel How, Luke Jackson, Emma Johnson, Debbie Kurup, Nathan Lorainey-Dineen, Liam Marcellino, Ciro Lourencio Meulens, Theo Papoui, Christopher Parkinson, Eleanor Peach, Ethan Le Phong, Jon Reynolds, Harriet Samuel-Gray, Olivia Saunders, Brandon Lee Sears, Joshua Steel, Kayleigh Thadani, Ella Valentine, and Tara Yasmin.

*Please note that casting for performances from 18 October 2025 is to be confirmed in due course. The producer cannot guarantee the appearance of any artist at any specific performance and reserves the right to substitute an alternate artist when required as a result of the indisposition, injury or illness of a member of the performing company of the production.

The Devil Wears Prada, a new musical,has become the fastest selling show in the Dominion’s history, opening with record breaking sales and playing to rapturous audiences. It is now booking until 3 January 2026.

In December of last year, the show officially opened with a special gala night which raised over £750,000 for the Elton John AIDS Foundation—and was attended by guests including Anna Wintour, Donatella Versace, Lily Collins, Edward Enninful, Bob Geldof, Graham Norton, Zandra Rhodes, Amelia Dimoldenberg, Elizabeth Hurley, and many more.

The Devil Wears Prada, features an all-star, award-winning creative team led by Elton John (Tammy Faye, Billy Elliot: The Musical, The Lion King), new direction & choreography by Jerry Mitchell (Kinky Boots, Legally Blonde, Pretty Woman, Hairspray), lyrics by singer-songwriter Shaina Taub (Suffs) and Mark Sonnenblick (Theatre Camp), book by Kate Wetherhead (Ever After, Submissions Only), set design by Tim Hatley (Life of Pi, Back to the Future), costume design by Gregg Barnes (Some Like It Hot, Legally Blonde), lighting design by Bruno Poet (The Tina Turner Musical, Frankenstein), sound design by Gareth Owen (Come From Away, & Juliet) and casting by Jill Green CDG.

The production played an exclusive preview engagement from 06 July – 17 August at Theatre Royal Plymouth prior to opening in the West End.

Hilariously fun and fabulously stylish, The Devil Wears Prada tells an inspiring story about discovering what kind of person you truly want to be. Choose your outfit carefully and get ready for a new musical that’s hautter than hell!

Fresh out of college, aspiring journalist Andy scores a job at the prestigious Runway magazine working for fashion’s most powerful and terrifying icon — editor-in-chief Miranda Priestly. Sacrificing her personal life to meet Miranda’s impossible demands, Andy finds herself seduced by the glamorous world she once despised. How far will she go to succeed… and will it be worth selling her soul to get what she’s always wanted?

The musical is based on Lauren Weisberger’s best-selling 2003 novel and the 2006 blockbuster film from Twentieth Century Studios which went on to gross $326 million worldwide and received two Academy Award nominations.

The Devil Wears Prada is produced by four time Tony Award winner Kevin McCollum (Mrs. Doubtfire, In the Heights, Avenue Q and Rent), Rocket Entertainment/David Furnish (Tammy Faye, Billy Elliot: The Musical) and Jamie Wilson (Mrs Doubtfire, Ain’t Too Proud, Sister Act The Musical) as a co-production with Theatre Royal Plymouth, and presented by special arrangement with Buena Vista Theatrical.

MULTI OLIVIER NOMINATED
TITANIQUE EXTENDS
AT CRITERION THEATRE THROUGH TO JANUARY 2026

AND RELEASES NEW PHOTOS

london.titaniquemusical.com

Eva Price and Michael Harrison are delighted to announce their Olivier Award Nominated splash hit West End musical Titanique has extended its booking period to Sunday 4 January 2026. They have also today released new images of the original West End cast currently starring at London’s Criterion Theatre.

Titanique has been nominated for three Olivier awards; for Best New Entertainment or Comedy Play, Lauren Drew for Best Actress in a Musical and Layton Williams for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical.

You can see Titanique on your screens this weekend with Lauren Drew, Rob Houchen and Kat Ronney set to perform on Comic Relief: Red Nose Day on BBC 2 from 10pm on Friday 21 March and the full company on The National Lottery’s Big Night of Musicals on BBC 1 from 6.50pm on Saturday 22 March.

Tickets to “The West End’s funniest new musical” (Smooth Radio) are on sale at london.titaniquemusical.com

The original West End company of Darren Bennett (Singin’ in the Rain, Grease) as Victor Garber / Luigi, Lauren Drew as Céline Dion, Jordan Luke Gage(Bonnie & Clyde, & Juliet) as Cal, Stephen Guarino (Showtime’s I’m Dying Up Here, Netflix’s Eastsiders) as Ruth, Rob Houchen (Les Misérables) as Jack, Kat Ronney (Hex) as Rose, Charlotte Wakefield (The Great British Bake Off Musical) as Molly Brown and Layton Williams (Cabaret, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie) as the Iceberg; as well as Adrianne Langley (Sixties Girls), Madison Swan (The Book of Mormon) andRodney Vubya (The Book of Mormon) as on-stage background vocalists and offstage understudies Freddie King (Gentlemen Prefer Blondes) and Kristina Walz (Titanique, New York) are scheduled to appear until Sunday 8 June 2025.

Casting from 8 June is to be announced.

★★★★★
The Times, Daily Mail, Sunday Express, Sunday Mirror, Gay Times, London Theatre

When the music of Céline Dion makes sweet Canadian love with the eleven-time Oscar®-winning blockbuster film Titanic, you get Titanique, off Broadway’s most award-winning splash hit that turns one of the greatest love stories of all time into a hysterical musical fantasia.

Want to find out what really happened to Jack and Rose on that fateful night? Just leave it to Céline Dion to enchant the audience with her totally wild take, recharting the course of Titanic’s beloved moments and characters with her iconic song catalogue. Sailing on fierce powerhouse voices in show-stopping performances of such hits as My Heart Will Go On, All by Myself and To Love you More – backed by a full live band – Titanique is a one-of-a-kind theatrical voyage bursting with nostalgia, heart and campy chaos. “Fantastique! 100 minutes of cast iron hysteria!” (Daily Mail)

Co-written by Tye Blue, Marla Mindelle and Constantine Rousouli, Titanique celebrated its Off-Broadway premiere in June 2022 at Asylum Theater, starring the musical’s co-authors Mindelle and Rousouli as Céline Dion and Jack Dawson. After several sold-out extensions, the musical transferred to the Daryl Roth Theatre on 20 November 2022 where it continues to play.

Titanique is directed by Tye Blue and choreographed by Ellenore Scott. Music Supervision, Arrangements and Orchestrations are by IRNE Award-Winner Nicholas James Connell. Scenic Design for Titanique is by Gabriel Hainer Evansohn and Grace Lauchbacher for Iron Bloom Creative Production; Costume Design is by Alejo Vietti; and Lighting Design is by Paige Seber; and Sound Design is by Lawrence Schober with casting by Pearson Casting CDG.

Titanique won seven major awards during the 2022/23 theatre season, including three Lucille Lortel Awards, the Off-Broadway Alliance Award for Best New Musical, Las Culturistas’ Culture Award for Best Indoor Performance and two Dorian Awards.

The London production of Titanique is produced by Eva Price and Michael Harrison.

ROSE THEATRE, CHICHESTER FESTIVAL THEATRE AND ETT
ANNOUNCE FULL CAST & CREATIVE TEAM FOR
UK PREMIERE OF MARIE AND ROSETTA
STARRING BEVERLEY KNIGHT

A ROSE THEATRE, CHICHESTER FESTIVAL THEATRE AND ETT CO-PRODUCTION

To mark the 110^th anniversary of the birth of American singer and songwriter Sister Rosetta Tharpe, the Rose Theatre, Chichester Festival Theatre and ETT today announce the full cast and creative team for the UK premiere of George Brant’s (Grounded) critically-acclaimed Marie and Rosetta, the roof-raising play with music telling the true story of Tharpe and her protégé Marie Knight. Directed by Monique Touko (The Boy at the Back of the Class; School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play), this production featuring gospel and blues hits is an electrifying portrait of the godmother of rock ’n’ roll.

As previously announced, celebrating her professional play debut as Rosetta Tharpe, is multi award-winning singer and actress Beverley Knight, whose many West End performances include Memphis, The Drifters Girl, Sylvia (for which she won an Olivier Award) and Sister Act.

Joining Beverley Knight is Ntombizodwa Ndlovu, an up-and-coming talent making her London stage debut as Marie Knight, Rosetta’s protege and musical partner. Her recent theatre credits include, Cat On a Hot Tin Roof, The Space Between Us, Mixtape, Nothing, and The Mountain Top (Royal Exchange Theatre).

The creative team joining Touko includes Lily Arnold (Set Designer), Jodie-Simone Howe (Costume Designer), Kloé Dean (Movement Director), Liam Godwin (Music Supervisor, Arranger & Orchestrator), Matt Haskins (Lighting Designer), Tony Gayle (Sound Designer), Bethan Clark (Intimacy Director), Joel Trill (Voice & Dialect Coach), Jacob Sparrow (Casting Director), Jordi M. Carter (Associate Director), and Teresa Nagel (Associate Lighting Designer).

Marie and Rosetta runs at the Rose Theatre in Kingston 2 – 24 May (Press Performance: Friday 9 May ) before transferring to the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre 27 – 31 May and Chichester Festival Theatre 25 June – 26 July (Press Performance: Wednesday 2 July).

Monique Touko, Director, said: “With this UK premiere, I am incredibly grateful to work alongside such a talented, reflective, and passionate creative team whose skill and dedication will bring this story to life in the most profound way. We have found our Marie in Ntombizodwa Ndlovu, and alongside Beverley Knight, we aim to create a space where Marie and Rosetta’s powerful bond and transformative influence can resonate with UK audiences. From the performances to the design, and the injection of live music, every element of this production works in harmony to highlight the immense cultural significance of these trailblazing women.”

Christopher Haydon, Artistic Director of Rose Theatre, said: ”Rosetta Tharpe and Marie Knight’s story is a powerful, essential and thrilling tale of creativity and triumph in the face of adversity. To truly honour the work of such  remarkable artists, we need the most exceptional cast and creative team. Monique Touko has assembled just such a group of artists. Their talent and passion will create something extraordinary, a production that will soar with passion, style and integrity. I cannot wait to share it with our audience.”

Justin Audibert, Artistic Director of Chichester Festival Theatre, said: “It’s thrilling that Monique Touko has recruited a bright young star, Ntombizodwa Ndlovu, to play opposite the magnificent Beverley Knight as Rosetta. Together with her excellent creative team, I know they will give us a revelatory, memorable and exhilarating experience. It’s no surprise to us that our audiences have rushed to snap up tickets to see this remarkable play in the intimate environment of the Minerva Theatre, and we can’t wait to see it, both here in Chichester, in Kingston and in Wolverhampton.”

Richard Twyman, Artistic Director & CEO, and Sophie Scull, Executive Producer of ETT said: “Marie and Rosetta is a beautiful and brilliant play, based on extraordinary women. Monique Touko has brought together a truly world-class cast and creative team to realise this poignant story, that I know will resonate powerfully today. We cannot wait for audiences in Kingston, Chichester and Wolverhampton to experience the production and be carried away by this magical celebration of music and theatre.”

Marie and Rosetta is a co-production between Rose Theatre, Chichester Festival Theatre and ETT.      

Tickets for the Rose Theatre can be booked via www.rosetheatre.org.    
Tickets for Wolverhampton Grand can be booked via www.grandtheatre.co.uk/.               
Tickets for Chichester Festival Theatre can be booked viawww.cft.org.uk/.

National Theatre at Home to stream Olivier Award-winning Life of Pi from 10 April – an Easter treat for the whole family

National Theatre at Home, the National Theatre’s pioneering streaming platform, announces the release* of Life of Pi by Yann Martel, adapted by Lolita Chakrabarti. From 10 April, audiences can watch this ‘triumph’ (★★★★★ Sunday Times) which won the 2022 Olivier Awards for Best New Play, Best Actor for Hiran Abeysekera’s (The Father and the Assassin)performance as Pi, and a historic first for the seven performers who played the tiger, collectively winning Best Actor in a Supporting Role.

Puppetry, magic and storytelling combine in a unique stage adaptation of the best-selling novel, a production from the Simon Friend Entertainment and Sheffield Theatres.  After a cargo ship sinks in the middle of the vast Pacific Ocean, a 16-year-old boy named Pi is stranded on a lifeboat with four other survivors – a hyena, a zebra, an orangutan and a Royal Bengal tiger. Filmed live in London’s West End and featuring state-of-the-art visuals, this ‘hit’ (★★★★★ The Times) production is the perfect Easter treat for the whole family.

Launched in 2020, National Theatre at Home offers access to over 100 productions, with new titles added monthly. Subscriptions are available for £9.99 a month or £99.99 annually.

All titles on National Theatre at Home include captions, and over 85% are available with Audio Description.

Bloomberg Philanthropies is Headline Sponsor of National Theatre at Home.  

National Theatre at Home is also supported by The Linbury Trust. 

For more information or to subscribe, visit ntathome.com.