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REGENT’S PARK OPEN AIR THEATRE ANNOUNCES

FULL CAST FOR UK PREMIERE OF SHUCKED

Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre today announce the full cast for the UK premiere of musical comedy Shucked, with book by Robert Horn, music & lyrics by Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally, and directed by Jack O’Brien. Following its acclaimed run on Broadway and a US tour, this production runs 10 May – 14 June 2025.

O’Brien directs the previously announced Monique Ashe-Palmer (Storyteller 1), Ben Joyce (Beau), Sophie McShera (Maizy), Georgina Onuorah (Lulu), Keith Ramsay (Peanut), Matthew Seadon-Young (Gordy) and Steven Webb (Storyteller 2). They are joined by Jed Berry (Swing), Taila Halford (Ensemble), Ross Harmon (Ensemble), Jonathan Andrew Hume (Grandpa), Claudia Kariuki (Ensemble), Ying Ue Li (Ensemble), Tom Oliver (Ensemble), Gleanne Purcell-Brown (Ensemble), Nathaniel Purnell (Swing), Rachel Rawlinson (Swing / Dance Captain), Mia Shelbourne (Swing) and Toyan Thomas-Browne (Ensemble).

Creatives include Lucy Adams (Associate Lighting Designer); Myles Brown (Associate Choreographer); Nathanael Campbell (Associate Director); Ben Davies (Associate Set Designer); Aundrea Fudge (Voice & Dialect Coach); Jill Green CDG (Casting Director); Tilly Grimes (Costume Designer); Carole Hancock (UK Wigs, Hair & Makeup Designer & Supervisor); Jason Howland (Music Supervisor, Orchestrations & Arrangements); Olivia Laydon (Casting Associate); Ingrid Mackinnon (Intimacy Support); Caity Mulkearns (Associate Costume Designer); Mia M Neal (Original US Hair & Wig Designer); Jack O’Brien (Director); Sarah O’Gleby (Choreographer); Scott Pask (Set Designer); Michael J Passaro (US Production Supervisor); Greg Pink (Associate Sound Designer); Katy Richardson (Musical Director); Tom Shiels (Casting Associate); John Shivers (Sound Designer); Japhy Weideman (Lighting Designer).

Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre presents

SHUCKED

Book by Robert Horn

Music & Lyrics by Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally

Directed by Jack O’Brien

Saturday 10 May –  Saturday 14 June 2025

‘Corn, yes, we said corn,

Just as sure as the day that you were born.’

Tony Award-winning musical comedy Shucked makes its much-anticipated UK premiere, landing at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre for 5 weeks only, following an acclaimed run on Broadway and a US tour.

Featuring a book by Tony Award winner Robert Horn (Tootsie), a score by the Grammy Award-winning songwriting team of Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally, and directed by Tony Award winner Jack O’Brien (Hairspray), this corn-fed, corn-bred American musical is sure to satisfy your appetite!

Maizy and Beau are getting hitched, when the corn that protects their small community starts to die. The town needs answers. But who will dare to venture beyond the borders of Cob County?

Including the knockout songs ‘Woman of the World’, ‘Somebody Will’ and ‘Independently Owned’, this Broadway hit about an unlikely hero, an unscrupulous con artist, and a battle for the heart and soil of a small town, is not to be missed.

Presented in association with Mike Bosner, Jason Owen, AEG Presents/Jay Marciano, and Michael Harrison.

Robert Horn | Book

Theatre includes: Shucked, Tootsie, Disney’s Hercules, 13 the musical, Moonshine The Musical, Lone Star Love, Dame Edna: Back With A Vengeance (Broadway).

TV includes: Designing Women; Living Single, High Society (CBS); Football Book Club; The Jenni Rivera Show; Partners; Bette Midler’s Divine Intervention tour; RuPaul Christmas Special (BBC).

Film include: 13 The Musical (Netflix); Teen Beach Movie, Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure, Wildlife (Disney); Good Advice (Emmett/Furla Films).

Robert is a two-time Tony nominee, two-time Drama Desk nominee, two-time Outer Critics nominee, winner of the Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, and New York Drama Critics’ Circle Awards.

Brandy Clark | Music & Lyrics

Theatre includes: Shucked (Broadway).

Music includes: Dear Insecurity, A Beautiful Noise (performed by Brandi Carlile and Alicia Keys); Follow Your Arrow (performed by Kacey Musgraves).

Brandy won Best Americana Performance at the 66^th Grammy Awards and Song of the Year at the 2024 Americana Honors & Awards with her acclaimed song, Dear Insecurity, featuring 11x Grammy-winner Brandi Carlile. Brandy also won Outstanding Music at the 67th Drama Desk Awards and was nominated for Best Original Score at the 76^th Tony Awards, where Shucked received nine nominations overall. 

Shane McAnally | Music & Lyrics

Theatre includes: Shucked (Broadway).

Music includes: Fancy Like (performed by Walker Hayes).

TV & Press includes: Songland;NYTimes; Billboard; Rolling Stone; The LA Times; The Kelly Clarkson Show; NPR Tiny Desk.

Shane McAnally has received three Grammy Award wins (with 11 total nominations), been nominated for more CMA Awards than any other songwriter in history, and been named ACM’s Songwriter of the Year twice. He received Billboard’s Trailblazer Award for his work both in country music and in championing voices in the LGBTQ community. In 2012 McAnally founded SMACKSongs and is co-president of Monument Records, a joint venture with Sony Music.

Jack O’Brien | Director

Lincoln Center Theater includes: Ghosts, Tom Stoppard’s The Hard Problem, The Coast of Utopia (Tony Award), The Invention of Love (Drama Desk Award; Tony nom.), Hapgood (Lucille Lortel Award), Macbeth The Nance, Henry IV (Tony Award), Pride’s Crossing, The Little Foxes, Two Shakespearean Actors (Tony nom.). 

Broadway includes: The Roommate; Shucked (Tony nom.); Hairspray (Tony Award); Carousel; Charlie and the Chocolate Factory; The Front Page; It’s Only a Play; Dead Accounts; Catch Me If You Can; Impressionism; Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Tony nom.); The Full Monty (Tony nom.); How the Grinch Stole Christmas; Porgy and Bess (Tony nom.); Imaginary Friends; Getting Away With Murder; Damn Yankees. 

National and Global tours include: The Sound of Music; Hairspray; Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Opera includes: Il Trittico (Metropolitan Opera); Porgy and Bess.

Other NY theater includes: Guys and Dolls (Carnegie Hall); Much Ado About Nothing (The Public).

UK theatre includes: Hairspray; The Full Monty; His Girl Friday (National Theatre); Love Never Dies. 

TV includes: Becoming Mike Nichols (HBO, Emmy nom.); American Playhouse Great Performances. 

Memoirs include: Jack Be Nimble, Jack in the Box (Farrar, Straus & Giroux). 

Jack is a Theater Hall of Fame inductee, Artists Director of The Old Globe Theatre (1981–2007) and received the 2024 Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement.

Monique Ashe-Palmer | Storyteller 1

Training: Bird College.

Theatre includes: Standing at the Sky’s Edge (Gillian Lynne Theatre); £1 Thursday’s (Finborough Theatre); SIX (Vaudeville Theatre); Waitress (U.K. Tour); Waitress (The Adelphi Theatre); Associate Choreographer on Madagascar the Musical (U.K Tour); Madagascar the musical (U.K./International Tour); Pinocchio (Bradford Alhambra); Sleeping Beauty (Camberley Theatre).

TV includes: Emmerdale (ITV).

Commercials include: Boots (2019 Campaign); Matalan (2021 Campaign); BT (2024 Campaign).

Jed Berry | Swing

Training: Guildford School of Acting.

Theatre includes: Wicked (UK Tour); The Book of Mormon (Prince of Wales & Original UK/International Tour); Fanny & Stella (Garden Theatre); Kinky Boots (Adelphi); The Oliviers in Concert (Royal Festival Hall); The Sound of Music (UK Tour); A Doll’s House (Leeds Playhouse).

TV & Film includes: Kinky Boots the Musical (Feature Film); Alex (Short Film); The Royal, The Royal Today, Heartbeat (ITV).

Other credits include: Stiles & Drewe’s Peter Pan (Cast Recording); The Ascension of Mrs Leech (Workshop); Soul Music (Workshop).

Taila Halford | Ensemble

Training: Emil Dale Academy.

 Theatre Includes: School of Rock (International Tour); Cats the Musical (RCCL); Kin a New Musical (The Other Palace).

 Recordings includes: Kin A New Musical (concept album).

 Credits whilst training: Made in Dagenham; Into The Woods.

Ross Harmon | Ensemble

Training: London School of Musical Theatre.

Theatre includes: Little Piece of You: An Atypical Musical in Concert (Theatre Royal, Drury Lane); Wicked (Apollo Victoria, West End); Half a Sixpence (Kilworth House); Taboo 20th Anniversary Concert (London Palladium); Sunset Boulevard (Royal Albert Hall); Heathers (Theatre Royal Haymarket, West End); But, I’m A Cheerleader (Turbine Theatre); Mamma Mia! (Royal Caribbean).

Other work includes: backing vocals for Culture Club and Boy George; the feature film adaption of Joey Contreras’s song cycle musical ‘In Pieces’.

In addition to his musical theatre career, Ross is a singer/songwriter with a catalogue of music available to stream on all platforms.

Jonathan Andrew Hume | Grandpa

Theatre includes: Guys & Dolls (Bridge Theatre); Come from Away (Phoenix Theatre); The Third Man (Menier Chocolate Factory); Bernstein’s Mass (Royal Festival Hall); Alice in Winterland (Rose Theatre); The Lion King (Lyceum Theatre and Sands Theater, Singapore)

TV & Film includes: Mary Poppins Returns (Walt Disney Pictures); 10,000 BC, Amazing Grace, Pride (soundtracks). McCoys Crisps commercial (2024/5 season of the NFL on Sky Sports).

Voiceover includes: Ozzo (UK voice); Dee and Friends in Oz (Netflix).

Audiobooks include: The Examiner (Janice Hallett); Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute (Talia Hibbert); My Journey from Council Estate to House of Lords (Simon Woolley); The House Share (Kate Holm); Doctor Who: The Lovecraft Invasion.

Jonathan was nominated for Best British Actor in a Musical at the Black British Theatre Awards for Come from Away.

Ben Joyce | Beau

Training: Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts (First Class BA (Hons), 2021).

Theatre includes: Back to the Future (Adelphi Theatre); Jersey Boys (Trafalgar Theatre).

Workshops include: Catch Me If You Can; The Little Big Things.

TV includes: The Power (Sister Pictures/Amazon Prime).

Ben was nominated for Best Takeover at the 2023 WhatsOnStage Awards for Back to the Future and Best Performer in a Musical and Best West End Debut at the 2022 The Stage Debut Award for Jersey Boys.

Claudia Kariuki |Ensemble

Training: Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts.

For Regent’s Park: Ragtime, Porgy & Bess.

Theatre includes: Sister Act (West End); Six (West End); Priscilla Queen Of The Desert (UK Tour); School of Rock (West End); Wicked The Musical (West End); The Life (English Theatre, Frankfurt); Ghost (English Theatre, Frankfurt); Sister Act (National Opera House of Ireland); Hairspray (Leicester Curve); Bare – The Rock Opera (Greenwich Theatre); Hairspray (No1 UK & Ireland Tour); Sweet Smell of Success (Arcola Theatre).

Claudia is a 2 time Black British Theatre Award winner for Best Non Binary Performer & Best Non Binary Performer in a Musical.

Ying Ue Li |Ensemble

Training: Guildford School of Acting.

Theatre includes: My Fair Lady (Leicester Curve);Cabaret (The Kit Kat Club); The Addams Family (UK and Ireland tour).
Concerts include: Carousel (Cadogan Hall).

Sophie McShera | Maizy

Theatre includes: The Entertainer (The Garrick, London); Jerusalem (The Apollo Theatre); Annie (West End); The Goodbye Girl (No 1 Tour); A Month In The Country (Salisbury Playhouse); Cinderella (West Yorkshire Playhouse).

TV includes: The Gallows Pole (ITV Studios Limited for BBC One); The Queen’s Gambit (Netflix); London Kills (Acorn TV); Porters 2 (Dancing Ledge for Dave); Timewasters (ITV2/Big Talk); Murdered for Being Different (BBC); Drunk History (Comedy Central); A Job Lot (Series 1-3, Big Talk Productions); Inside No.9 (BBC); Survivors (BBC); Galavant (Series 1-2, ABC); Downtown Abbey (Series 1-5, Carnival for ITV); Harry and Paul (BBC One); Waterloo Road (Shed Productions/BBC); Doctors (BBC); Emmerdale (Yorkshire TV).

Film includes: Downton Abbey: A New Era (Universal Pictures, Carnival Film & Television); Downtown Abbey (Castle Pictures Limited); David Copperfield (GEM Entertainment, FilmNation Entertainment); Cinderella (Walt Disney); Highway to Dhampus (Fifty Films).

Tom Oliver | Ensemble

Training: Guildford School of Acting.

Theatre includes: The Little Big Things (Original West End Cast at @sohoplace); Jersey Boys (Trafalgar Studios); Grease (RCCL).

Workshop includes: The Little Big Things (@sohoplace).

Georgina Onuorah | Lulu

Training: ArtsEd where she was awarded the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation Scholarship. 

Theatre includes: Little Shop Of Horrors (Sheffield Crucible); Kiss Me, Kate (Barbican); Hamilton (Victoria Palace Theatre); Oklahoma! (Wyndham’s Theatre); Dick Whittington (National Theatre); Bad Cinderella (Gillian Lynne Theatre); MILLENNIALS (The Other Palace); The Wizard of Oz (London Palladium).

Workshops include: The Children’s Inquiry (National Theatre Studio); The Enormous Crocodile (Roald Dahl Story Company); Mandela (The Young Vic). 

Film includes: Wicked: Part 2 (Universal Pictures).

Gleanne Purcell-Brown | Ensemble

Training: The Urdang Academy.

Theatre includes: Pippin: 50th Anniversary Concert (Theatre Royal Drury Lane); The Big Life (Stratford East); Lily in The Blonde Bombshells of 1943 (Bolton Octagon Theatre, Theatre by the Lake & Stephen Joseph Theatre); Peggy in Playboy of the West Indies (Birmingham Rep); She Loves Me (Sheffield Crucible); Curtains (West End & UK Tour); The Producers (The Royal Exchange); Spamalot (UK & International Tour).

Screen credits include: Living (Amazon Prime).

Nathaniel Purnell | Swing

Training: Arts Educational Schools London.

Theatre credits include: The Time Traveller’s Wife (Apollo Theatre); Snow White (De Montfort Hall, Leicester); Dorothy, Back In Oz (Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds); Beauty and the Beast (Wyvern Theatre, Swindon); Jolly Ginger (Cloud Theatre, Bluestone).

Workshops include: Nuclear Family Musical (Union Theatre); Everything Between Us Musical (Marylebone Theatre).

Credits whilst training include: Cats, Kipps! The New Half a Sixpence Musical, Company, The Olivier Awards.

Keith Ramsay | Peanut

Training: Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts.

Theatre includes: The Play That Goes Wrong (Duchess Theatre); Eve: All About Her (Soho Theatre); Young Frankenstein (English Theatre Frankfurt); Preludes (Southwark Playhouse); Amour (Charing Cross Theatre); The Cereal Cafe (The Other Palace); Portia Coughlan (Old Red Lion); Julius Caesar (Shakespeare’s Globe); Doctor Scroggy’s War (Shakespeare’s Globe); Lost In Yonkers (Watford Palace Theatre); Billy (Union Theatre); Peter Pan (Qdos). 

TV includes: Shetland; Dylan Moran’s “The Awkward Age”; Pistol; New Tricks; Doctors; Casualty.

Keith won The Stage Edinburgh Award for Acting Excellence & David Johnson Award for Emerging Talent for Eve: All About Her.

Rachel Rawlinson | Swing & Dance Captain

Training: D&B Academy of Performing Arts (awarded The Stage Newspaper full scholarship).

Theatre includes: SIX (Vaudeville Theatre); Heathers (Theatre Royal Haymarket); Becoming Nancy (Birmingham Rep Theatre); Singin’ in the Rain (Kilworth House Theatre); Priscilla Queen of the Desert (Norwegian Cruise Line); Dick Whittington (Harlow Playhouse); Jack and the Beanstalk (Harlow Playhouse); Thursford Christmas Spectacular; Grease (Silja Line); WAG! the Musical (Charing Cross Theatre); The Wizard of Oz (ADC Theatre); Hello, Dolly! (ADC Theatre); Anything Goes (Edinburgh Fringe Festival); Jack and the Beanstalk (The Maltings, Ely); Sleeping Beauty (Churchill Theatre, Bromley); Billy Elliot (Victoria Palace Theatre); The Sound of Music (London Palladium); Mary Poppins (Prince Edward Theatre); Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (London Palladium).

Voiceover includes: Flushed Away (Dreamworks/Aardman Animations); The Itch of the Golden Nit: The Tate Movie Project (Tate Movie Project).

Matthew Seadon-Young |Gordy

Theatre includes: The Baker’s Wife (Menier Chocolate Factory); Rockets and Blue Lights (National Theatre, Royal Exchange Theatre); Death of a Salesman (Young Vic / Piccadilly Theatre, West End); Company (Gielgud Theatre, West End); Assassins (Gate Theatre, Dublin); Big Fish (The Other Palace); Beautiful (Aldwych Theatre, West End); Billy Elliot (Victoria Palace, West End); Sweeney Todd (London Coliseum); Urinetown (Apollo Theatre, West End); The School for Scandal (Theatre Royal Bath); She Stoops to Conquer (National Theatre); The Architects (SHUNT); Les Miserables (Queens Theatre, West End); The Laramie Project (Wild Oats Productions).

Film includes: Pride; Les Misérables.

Other credits include: BBC Proms 67 (2015); John Wilson Orchestra (Royal Albert Hall); Vocalist for the Les Misérables Ensemble at the 85th Academy Awards ‘Oscars’ (Dolby).

Mia Shelbourne | Swing

Mia is an actress from Kailua, Hawaii. Shucked marks Mia’s professional debut.

Training: Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts.

Credits whilst training:  RENT; Mary Poppins; Kipps – The New Half a Sixpence.

Toyan Thomas-Browne | Ensemble

Training: London Studio Centre – Toyan received the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation Scholarship Award.

Theatre includes: MJ The Musical (Prince Edward Theatre); Ain’t Too Proud (Prince Edward Theatre); Moulin Rouge! (Piccadilly Theatre); Jack & The Beanstalk (Lyric Hammersmith); Beautiful (UK Tour, Mark Rubinstein Ltd.); Kinky Boots (UK Tour, Playful Productions); Me And My Girl (Chichester Festival Theatre); Guys And Dolls (Royal Exchange, Manchester); Wonderland (UK Tour); There’s No Place Like Home (Concert – Lyric Theatre); The Prince: A New Musical (The Arts Theatre); Christmas On Ice (Spirit Productions USA); We Will Rock You (Queen Theatrical Productions); Wizard of Oz (Haymarket Theatre).

Steven Webb | Storyteller 2

Theatre includes: Here You Come Again (UK Tour, Riverside Studios); Book of Mormon (Prince of Wales Theatre); I Want My Hat Back (National Theatre); As Is, Betwixt, Sh*t-Mix (Trafalgar Studios); Secret Theatre, Jack and the Beanstalk, Cinderella, Aladdin (The Lyric Hammersmith); After the Turn (Courtyard Theatre); The Lakeboat (The Arcola); Dick Whittington (The Lyric Theatre); Sons of York (Finborough Theatre); The Long Road (Soho Theatre); The History Boys (Royal National Theatre, West End); Chatroom/Citizenship (Royal National Theatre); On the Shore of the Wide World (Exchange Manchester/Royal National Theatre); Kes (Exchange Manchester); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Sheffield Theatre); The Trestle at Pope Lick Creek (Southwark Playhouse); Dark of the Moon (Kings Head Theatre); Oliver! (London Palladium).

TV includes: Beautality; The Inbetweeners; Miranda.

Podcast incudes: Brain Rot: An 80s Horror podcast.

BOX OFFICE INFORMATION

Box Office 0333 400 3562* | openairtheatre.com                              

Inner Circle, Regent’s Park, London, NW1 4NU

* Lines open Monday – Sunday, 10am – 4pm. A £1.80 per ticket telephone booking fee applies. 0333 numbers are charged at the same rate as calls to 01 and 02 numbers as regulated by Ofcom. Please check with your provider for further details.

Visit openairtheatre.com for latest ticket prices, concessions and discounts.

#OAT2025 / #Shucked / #DreamBallets / #NoughtsAndCrosses / #Brigadoon / #TheEnormousCrocodile / #OpenAirTheatreFestival

2025 SEASON AT A GLANCE

Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre presents

SHUCKED

Saturday 10 May – Saturday 14 June 2025

Access Performances:

BSL Interpreted: Tuesday 10 June, 7.45pm

Captioned: Friday 13 June, 7.45pm                         

Audio Described: Saturday 7 June, 2.15pm

Age Recommend: 8+

Tickets from: £15

OPEN AIR THEATRE FESTIVAL: FAMILY TAKEOVER

Sunday 25 May 2025

A Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre production

Rodgers & Hammerstein’s

DREAM BALLETS: A TRIPLE BILL

Thursday 19 June – Sunday 22 June 2025

Age Recommend: 5+

Tickets from: £15

A Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre production

NOUGHTS & CROSSES

Saturday 28 June – Saturday 26 July 2025

Press Night: Tuesday 8 July, 7.45pm

Access Performances:

BSL Interpreted: Tuesday 22 July, 7.45pm

Captioned: Friday 25 July, 7.45pm

Audio Described: Saturday 26 July, 2.15pm

Age Recommend: 14+

Tickets from: £15

OPEN AIR THEATRE FESTIVAL: DANCE TAKEOVER

Sunday 20 July 2025

A Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre production

Lerner & Loewe’s

BRIGADOON

Saturday 2 August – Saturday 20 September 2025

Access Performances:

BSL Interpreted: Tuesday 2 September, 7.45pm

Captioned: Friday 5 September, 7.45pm

Audio Described: Saturday 6 September, 2.15pm

Age Recommend: 8+   

Tickets from: £15

Originally co-produced by Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, Roald Dahl Story Company and Leeds Playhouse

The family musical based on Roald Dahl’s

THE ENORMOUS CROCODILE

Friday 15 August – Sunday 7 September 2025

Access Performances:

BSL Interpreted: Wednesday 27 August, 2pm

Audio Described: Sunday 7 September, 2pm

Relaxed: Tuesday 26 August, 10.30am & Sunday 31 August, 10.30am

Age Recommend: 3+

Tickets from: £15

OPEN AIR THEATRE FESTIVAL: COMEDY TAKEOVER

Sunday 14 September 2025

OPEN AIR THEATRE FESTIVAL: MUSIC TAKEOVER

Tuesday 23 – Saturday 27 September 2025

WEST END/ON TOUR

David Ian for Crossroads Live and Work Light Productions present

The Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre production of

JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR

Australia Tour until July 2025

Trafalgar Theatre Productions, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre and AF Creative Media

in association with the Barbican present

The Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre production of

FIDDLER ON THE ROOF

Saturday 24 May – Saturday 19 July 2025

Barbican Centre, London

Followed by a UK & Ireland Tour until December 2025

Runaway Entertainment present

101 DALMATIANS

Reimagined from the 2022 Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre production

Friday 18 July – Saturday 30 August 2025

Eventim Apollo, London

ABOUT REGENT’S PARK OPEN AIR THEATRE

Established in 1932, the multi-award-winning Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre is one of the largest theatres in London (at a capacity of 1,304). Passionate about producing popular, enriching and unexpected theatre that provides a lens into the here and now, the scale and ambition of our productions together with our magical outdoor setting, makes us unique in the capital’s cultural landscape. In 2024 we welcomed over 180,000 people to our 27-week summer season.

Drew McOnie assumed the role of Artistic Director in January 2024, and James Pidgeon was appointed Executive Director in 2021.

Over the last fifteen years, our productions have won seven Olivier Awards, ten WhatsOnStage Awards, and four Evening Standard Awards. We were named London Theatre of the Year in 2017 by The Stage, and received the Highly Commended Award for London Theatre of the Year in 2021. Our productions have toured the UK, and have transferred to both the West End and the United States. Our 2016 revival of Jesus Christ Superstar has just finished tours of both the UK and North America and is currently touring Australia. Our 2024 revival of Fiddler on the Roof will transfer to the Barbican Centre this summer, followed by a UK & Ireland tour.

As a registered charity that receives no regular public subsidy, we rely entirely on earned income and charitable contributions. Nevertheless, we have maintained 36,000 tickets at £15 across the whole of 2025’s summer season, our BREEZE scheme enables those aged 18-25 to buy tickets for £10, and we regularly work with local charities. Each year, on average, we subsidise tickets for 6,000 school pupils.

Food and drink plays a significant role in the Open Air Theatre experience, with our in-house bars and restaurants including Covered Dining (certified as a Sustainably Run Restaurant), The Grill and The Pizza Oven. We also have our own picnic lawn and the West End’s longest bar!

Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre has become one of the most independently sustainable and financially successful producing theatres in the country, and we’re proud to embark on the next stage of our vision with ever-increasing artistic ambition and entrepreneurial spirit.

openairtheatre.com

X: @OpenAirTheatre

Facebook: RegentsParkOpenAirTheatre

Instagram: @RegentsParkOAT

TikTok: @regentsparkoat

Playhouse, Sheffield – February 8th 2025

Reviewed by Sharon Farley

5*****

Driftwood is a tumultuous ride through a family drama, focusing on how two brothers deal with the death of their father in very different ways. Though the underlying story encompasses some heavy topics, there is much levity within the dialogue to put the audience at ease.

The majority of the tale plays out on the beach of their hometown, Seaton Carew, a fairly unremarkable northeastern resort. Mark (James Westphal: A-Typical Rainbow, Sweetheart) is metropolitan and urbane, having left his family behind many years before in exchange for a city lifestyle and finding a successful career in the process; Tiny (Jerome Yates: Peter Pan and the Battle for Neverland, The Children) is 7-years Mark’s junior and stayed behind, finding his escape through online gaming whilst also becoming a full-time carer for their father through the long-term illness leading to his death.

When Mark returns, Tiny tries to rekindle family connections but Mark is clearly struggling with the prospect of saying goodbye to his estranged father. While he compensates by organising the necessary, practical arrangements, Tiny begins to unravel as he mourns the loss of their father alone, fixating on local folklore – the mystical legend of ‘The Mariner’, said to emerge from the sea to take the souls of the dead back to the wreck of the H.M.S. Stag with him. The rising tensions come to a head on the day of the funeral; they both dress for the occasion, but things don’t go according to Mark’s meticulous planning. Buried issues of abandonment erupt and a past trauma is re-enacted at low-tide with life-threatening results. They both emerge from the sea with new perspectives and, whilst we are granted a happy ending through their reconciliation, the resulting sense of belonging that the two men discover provides an entirely unexpected twist.

Though the plot layers are complex, the set is simple with a little ‘sea mist’ and sand providing some atmosphere aided by a digital backdrop, which also prints the dialogue as it’s spoken – an added bonus for those of us who are hearing impaired. The combined direction of Neil Bettles (The Unreturning, How Not To Drown) and Elle While (One Of Them Ones, The Silence and The Noise) puts Yates and Westphal through their paces and is occasionally quite acrobatic, using contemporary movement to represent parallels between the characters and the passage of time. The cumulative result does an excellent job of bringing the writing of multi-award winning Tim Foley (Electric Rosary, Astronauts of Hartlepool) to life and has been nominated for an Offie Award for Best Online Production. Audiences across the UK will have the opportunity to submerge themselves in this production of Driftwood during its 2025 tour

WINNERS ANNOUNCED FOR THE

25^TH ANNUAL WHATSONSTAGE AWARDS

STARLIGHT EXPRESS LEADS WITH 7 WINS

WITH MACBETH LEADING THE PLAY CATEGORIES WITH 3 WINS

At a ceremony tonight at The London Palladium hosted by Gina and Mazz Murray, the winners of the 25^th Annual WhatsOnStage Awards in association with AudienceView were announced – the only major theatre awards decided entirely by the theatregoers themselves.

WhatsOnStage’s Darius Thompson and Alex Wood said today: “’This list of winners, coming after a quarter of a century of public nominating, voting and prize-giving, once more celebrates the sheer diversity and variety of theatre productions on our stages. With lightning-fast performers on rollerblades, cutting-edge new stagings of Shakespearean classics, or fresh, musical takes on Greek myths all triumphing, it proves that UK theatre really can do it all. A huge thank you to everyone who selected and championed their favourite shows and creatives, and to the team at The London Palladium for once more hosting this enormous spectacle – it’s been a pleasure. Here’s to the next 25 years of live theatre!”

The most awarded of the evening was Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Starlight Express, taking home seven out of its nine nominations and winning Best Musical Revival, Best Professional Debut for Jeevan Braich, Best Set Design (Tim Hatley), Best Lighting Design (Howard Hudson), Best Video Design (Andrzej Goulding), Best Costume Design (Gabriella Slade), and Jackie Saundercock and Campbell Young Associates in the new category for Best Wigs Hair and Make-up Design.

In the week it debuts in cinemas, Macbeth led the straight play categories with three wins – for David Tennant Best Performer in a Play (making him the actor to win the most WhatsOnStage Awards with five wins), Best Play Revival, and Best Sound Design (Gareth Fry).

In the performance categories, Imelda Staunton won Best Performer in a Musical for Hello, Dolly!; with Melanie La Barrie winning Best Supporting Performer in a Musical category for her performance in Hadestown, which also wins Best Musical Direction/Supervision for Liam Robinson and Tarek Merchant. Winning Best Supporting Performer in a Play was Freema Agyeman for Romeo & Juliet; and Layton Williams won Best Takeover for his role of the Emcee in Cabaret.

The always fiercely fought Best New Musical Award went to Tina Fey’s Mean Girls, currently turning the Savoy Theatre pink; with Spirited Away winning Best New Play for its run at the London Coliseum. The much-loved SIX wins Best West End Show; with Best Director going to Emma Rice for The Buddha of Suburbia – the critically acclaimed Wise Children and RSC co-production; and Best Choreography to Christopher Wheeldon for MJ the Musical.

This year’s awards saw the inclusion of the Best Studio Production for the first time, which was won by Diary of a Gay Disaster at Underbelly Cowgate and Arcola Theatre; with Something Rotten! – in ConcertwinningBest Concert Event. Best Regional Production was Chichester Festival Theatre’s revival of Oliver! which is currently running at the Gielgud Theatre. Best Casting Direction was won by Harry Blumenau and Sarah-Jane Price for Why Am I So Single?.                        

Completing the evening, legendary lighting designer Paule Constable was awarded the Services to UK Theatre Award for her much-heralded career.

In addition to seeing winners crowned across a range of categories, theatregoers also enjoyed a host of exclusive live performances from top stage talent, accompanied by a 24-piece orchestra in this one-night-only showcase co-produced with creative directors Alex Parker and Damian Sandys. Performances included from 42 Balloons, Becoming Nancy, Mean Girls, MJ the Musical and The Artist. This year’s official charity for the WhatsOnStage Awards was Go Live Theatre.

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WhatsOnStage would like to take this opportunity to thank the 2025 awards ceremony sponsors: 5RB, Above Title Finance, AKA Promotions Ltd, AudienceView, Avalon, Boulevard Events, Brent Carpet Company Ltd, Concord, Dewynters, Disney’s Hercules, Edwardian Hotels, Go Live Theatre, Hexagon Print, Hurtwood House, LaDuca, LOVEtheatre, Music Theatre International, Newman Displays, Outernet Venues, Preevue, PRG, Re:Water, RSVP-ify, SINE Digital, Steeldeck Rentals, Tandem Marketing, Theatrical Rights Worldwide, The Pekoe Group, Ticketmaster, TikTok, Travelzoo and White Light.

NOMINATIONS IN FULL (winners in bold)

BEST PERFORMER IN A PLAY SPONSORED BY SINE DIGITAL     

Emma D’Arcy, The Other Place, National Theatre

Tom Holland, Romeo & Juliet, Duke of York’s Theatre

Cush Jumbo, Macbeth, Donmar Warehouse and Harold Pinter Theatre

Anne Odeke, Princess Essex, Shakespeare’s Globe

Michael Sheen, Nye, National Theatre and Wales Millennium Centre

David Tennant, Macbeth, Donmar Warehouse and Harold Pinter Theatre

BEST PERFORMER IN A MUSICAL SPONSORED BY TICKETMASTER

Georgina Castle, Mean Girls, Savoy Theatre

Jo Foster, Why Am I So Single?, Garrick Theatre

Myles Frost, MJ the Musical, Prince Edward Theatre

Imelda Staunton, Hello, Dolly!, The London Palladium

Leesa Tulley, Why Am I So Single?, Garrick Theatre

Vanessa Williams, The Devil Wears Prada, Theatre Royal Plymouth and Dominion Theatre

BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMER IN A PLAY                                                       

Freema Agyeman, Romeo & Juliet, Duke of York’s Theatre

Romola Garai, Giant, Royal Court Theatre

Julie Hesmondhalgh, Punch, Nottingham Playhouse

Teddy Hinde, The History Boys, UK tour

Atsuki Mashiko, Spirited Away, The London Coliseum

Sharon Small, Nye, National Theatre

BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMER IN A MUSICAL SPONSORED BY NEWMAN DISPLAYS                      

Siobhan Athwal, Bhangra Nation, Birmingham Rep

Amy Di Bartolomeo, The Devil Wears Prada, Theatre Royal Plymouth and Dominion Theatre

Melanie La Barrie, Hadestown, Lyric Theatre

Grace Mouat, Mean Girls, Savoy Theatre

Jaydon Vijn, Starlight Express, Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre

Tom Xander, Mean Girls, Savoy Theatre     

BEST TAKEOVER PERFORMANCE SPONSORED BY HURTWOOD HOUSE, THE SCHOOL FOR THEATRE

Zoe Birkett, TINA – The Tina Turner Musical, Aldwych Theatre

Cara Delevingne, Cabaret, Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre

Craig Ryder, Moulin Rouge! the Musical, Piccadilly Theatre

Alex Sawyer, Hamilton, Victoria Palace Theatre

Tobias Turley, Mamma Mia!, Novello Theatre

Layton Williams, Cabaret, Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre

BEST PROFESSIONAL DEBUT PERFORMANCE SPONSORED BY AKA                                         

Esme Bowdler, Heathers the Musical, @sohoplace and UK tour

Jeevan Braich, Starlight Express, Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre

Stevie Doc, Mamma Mia!, Novello Theatre

Vasco Emauz, Back to the Future the Musical, Adelphi Theatre

Mia Kobayashi, Your Lie in April,       Harold Pinter Theatre

Gerardine Sacdalan, & Juliet, UK tour

BEST NEW MUSICAL SPONSORED BY TRAVELZOO                                          

Babies, Music and lyrics by Jack Godfrey and book by Martha Geelan, The Other Palace

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Music and lyrics by Darren Clark and book and lyrics by Jethro Compton, Ambassadors Theatre

The Devil Wears Prada, Music by Elton John, lyrics by Shaina Taub and Mark Sonnenblick and book by Kate Wetherhead, Theatre Royal Plymouth and Dominion Theatre

MJ the Musical, Music and lyrics by Michael Jackson and book by Lynn Nottage, Prince Edward Theatre

Mean Girls, Music by Jeff Richmond, lyrics by Nell Benjamin and book by Tina Fey, Savoy Theatre

Why Am I So Single?, Music, lyrics and book by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, Garrick Theatre

BEST MUSICAL REVIVAL SPONSORED BY CONCORD THEATRICALS                                          

Dear Evan Hansen, Nottingham Playhouse and UK tour

Hadestown, Lyric Theatre

Hello, Dolly!, The London Palladium

Kiss Me, Kate, Barbican Theatre

Oliver!, Chichester Festival Theatre

Starlight Express, Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre                                                

BEST NEW PLAY SPONSORED BY GO LIVE THEATRE

Giant, Mark Rosenblatt, Royal Court Theatre

Kyoto, Joe Murphy and Joe Robertson, RSC’s Swan Theatre

Princess Essex, Anne Odeke, Shakespeare’s Globe

Punch, James Graham, Nottingham Playhouse

Slave Play, Jeremy O’Harris, Noël Coward Theatre

Spirited Away, Adapted by John Caird and co-adapted by Maoko Imai, The London Coliseum                                         

BEST PLAY REVIVAL SPONSORED BY EDWARDIAN HOTELS – OFFICAL HOTEL PARTNER    

A Raisin in the Sun, Leeds Playhouse, Oxford Playhouse, Lyric Hammersmith Theatre and Nottingham Playhouse

The Crucible, Sheffield Crucible

Macbeth, Donmar Warehouse and Harold Pinter Theatre

Oedipus, Wyndham’s Theatre

Romeo & Juliet, Duke of York’s Theatre

Waiting for Godot, Theatre Royal Haymarket            

BEST WEST END SHOW SPONSORED BY DEWYNTERS                                    

Cabaret, Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre

Hamilton, Victoria Palace Theatre

Les Misérables, Sondheim Theatre

Mamma Mia!, Novello Theatre

Operation Mincemeat, Fortune Theatre

SIX, Vaudeville Theatre

BEST REGIONAL PRODUCTION SPONSORED BY MUSIC THEATRE INTERNATIONAL   

42 Balloons, The Lowry, Salford

The Artist, Theatre Royal Plymouth

Becoming Nancy, Birmingham Repertory Theatre

Brassed Off, Theatre by the Lake, Stephen Joseph Theatre and Octagon Theatre Bolton

Dear Evan Hansen, Nottingham Playhouse and UK tour

Oliver!, Chichester Festival Theatre                         

BEST STUDIO PRODUCTION SPONSORED BY THEATRICAL RIGHTS WORLDWIDE   

BRACE BRACE, Royal Court Theatre

Dear Young Monster, Bristol Old Vic Weston Studio

Diary of a Gay Disaster, Underbelly Cowgate and Arcola Theatre

KENREX, Tanya Moiseiwitsch Playhouse, Sheffield

Mulatto Boy, Omnibus Theatre

Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em, Barn Theatre

BEST CONCERT EVENT                                               

Gypsy the Musical in Concert, Hope Mill Theatre at Opera House, Manchester

I Am Harvey Milk, Cadogan Hall

Pippin – 50th Anniversary Concert, Theatre Royal Drury Lane

Something Rotten! – In Concert, Theatre Royal Drury Lane

Sondheim on Sondheim, Alexandra Palace Theatre

Spring Awakening: 15th Anniversary Concert, Victoria Palace Theatre       

BEST DIRECTION SPONSORED BY LOVETHEATRE                              

Eline Arbo, The Years, Almeida Theatre

Robert Icke, Oedipus, Wyndham’s Theatre

Anthony Lau, The Crucible, Sheffield Crucible

James Macdonald, Waiting for Godot, Theatre Royal Haymarket

Drew McOnie, The Artist, Theatre Royal Plymouth

Emma Rice, The Buddha of Suburbia, RSC’s Swan Theatre and Barbican Theatre

BEST CHOREOGRAPHY SPONSORED BY LADUCA SHOES

Matthew Bourne, Oliver!, Chichester Festival Theatre

Julia Cheng, Fiddler on the Roof, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

Drew McOnie, The Artist, Theatre Royal Plymouth

Rujuta Vaidya, Bhangra Nation, Birmingham Rep

Anthony Van Laast, Kiss Me, Kate, Barbican Theatre

Christopher Wheeldon, MJ the Musical, Prince Edward Theatre                              

BEST SET DESIGN SPONSORED BY PREEVUE    

Jon Bausor and Toby Olié, Spirited Away, The London Coliseum

Miriam Buether, Kyoto, RSC’s Swan Theatre

Es Devlin, Coriolanus, National Theatre

Tim Hatley, Starlight Express, Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre

Kenneth MacLeod, Maggie and Me, UK tour

Tom Scutt, Fiddler on the Roof, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

BEST COSTUME DESIGN    

Sachiko Nakahara, Spirited Away, The London Coliseum

Lez Brotherston, Oliver!, Chichester Festival Theatre

Marg Horwell, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Theatre Royal Haymarket

Tom Scutt, Fiddler on the Roof, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

Gabriella Slade, Starlight Express, Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre

Rae Smith, Hello, Dolly!, The London Palladium                                        

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN SPONSORED BY WHITE LIGHT   

Paule Constable, Oliver!, Chichester Festival Theatre

Howard Hudson, Starlight Express, Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre

Jessica Hung Han Yun, Minority Report, Nottingham Playhouse, Birmingham Rep and Lyric Hammersmith Theatre

Tim Lutkin, Coriolanus, National Theatre

Bruno Poet, Waiting for Godot, Theatre Royal Haymarket

Zoe Spurr, The Artist, Theatre Royal Plymouth                             

BEST SOUND DESIGN SPONSORED BY HERE @ OUTERNET   

Paul Arditti, BRACE BRACE, Royal Court Theatre

Susan Bear, Maggie and Me, UK tour

Nicola T Chang, Minority Report, Nottingham Playhouse, Birmingham Rep and Lyric Hammersmith Theatre

Gareth Fry, Macbeth, Donmar Warehouse and Harold Pinter Theatre

Gareth Fry, Viola’s Room, Woolwich Works

Gareth Owen, Starlight Express, Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre                                        

BEST VIDEO DESIGN SPONSORED BY TIKTOK     

David Bergman, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Theatre Royal Haymarket

Grant Gee and Ellie Thompson, Bluets, Royal Court Theatre

Andrzej Goulding, Starlight Express, Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre

Tal Rosner, Minority Report, Nottingham Playhouse, Birmingham Rep and Lyric Hammersmith Theatre

Ash J Woodward, The Artist, Theatre Royal Plymouth

Ash J Woodward, FANGIRLS, Lyric Hammersmith Theatre                                 

BEST MUSICAL DIRECTION/SUPERVISION SPONSORED BY DISNEY’S HERCULES          

Mark Aspinall and Dan Turek, Fiddler on the Roof, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

Niraj Chag and Simon Baker, The Buddha of Suburbia, RSC’s Swan Theatre and Barbican Theatre

Darren Clark and Mark Aspinall, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Ambassadors Theatre

Alasdair Macrae, Macbeth, Donmar Warehouse and Harold Pinter Theatre

Matthew Malone, Brassed Off, Theatre by the Lake, Stephen Joseph Theatre and Octagon Theatre Bolton

Liam Robinson and Tarek Merchant, Hadestown, Lyric Theatre  

BEST CASTING DIRECTION   

Amy Ball, The Years, Almeida Theatre

Harry Blumenau and Sarah-Jane Price, Why Am I So Single?, Garrick Theatre

Stuart Burt, Fiddler on the Roof, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

Alastair Coomer and Chloe Blake, Till the Stars Come Down, National Theatre

Anna Cooper, Macbeth, Donmar Warehouse and Harold Pinter Theatre

Lotte Hines, A Raisin in the Sun, Leeds Playhouse, Oxford Playhouse, Lyric Hammersmith Theatre and Nottingham Playhouse    

BEST WIGS, HAIR AND MAKE-UP DESIGN SUPPORTED BY BBC THREE’S GLOW UP

Campbell Young Associates, The Devil Wears Prada, Theatre Royal Plymouth and Dominion Theatre

Jackie Saundercock and Campbell Young Associates, Starlight Express, Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre

Marg Horwell, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Theatre Royal Haymarket

Betty Marini, The Cabinet Minister, Menier Chocolate Factory

Hiroaki Miyauchi, Spirited Away, The London Coliseum

Georgia Nosal, The Artist, Theatre Royal Plymouth

Services to Theatre:

Paule Constable

Hope Theatre, London – until – 8 February 2025

Reviewed by Claire Roderick

4****

This delightful one-woman musical comedy tells the story of Rosie’s struggle to come to terms with her mental health. Rosie’s Brain has a monster inside, and she needs to stop feeding it.

Rosie’s fresh start in college comes to a grinding halt on the first day as she introduces herself to the audience with an optimistic song. But she notices a boy and wonders whether she should walk next to him and the song swiftly degenerates into a catastrophising story of her life trapped in a relationship with him.

This sets up the narrative beautifully, as we hear about Rosie’s compulsions and tics as a child – and her no-nonsense Brooklyn mother’s reactions to them. Rosie grew up comfortably in California, so her parents could afford to send her to therapists when they realised that she wasn’t just an eccentric kid and needed more help.

Written, composed and performed by Evelyn Rose, Rosie’s interactions with family, friends and therapists are shown brilliantly. Rose shifts position and body language effortlessly, making it instantly clear which character is talking. Rosie’s mum is an absolute hoot. As Rosie’s diagnosis changes from GAD to OCD, her anxieties and the shift in her compulsions are explained to her, and the audience, brilliantly. It never feels as if we are laughing at her, but with her. The songs are funny and revealing, especially as Rosie tries her exposure work, trying to approach rather than avoid the men on campus.

Rosie’s romance and breakup with another student with OCD, and her realisation that she is strong enough to act even though the monster is trying to stop and protect her from an uncertain future, bring the show to a happy and hopeful conclusion, and I wanted to know more about Rosie. Musical director Laoise Fleming’s interactions with Rose are sweet, while Josh Vaatstra and Lucrezia Galeone’s direction is empathetic and thoughtful, allowing the wonderfully talented Evelyn Rose to shine and capture the audience’s hearts. In this hour-long show, there is plenty of material for a more expansive production with added musical numbers, and I am excited to see how this charming and emotional show develops.

Network Theatre – until 8 February 2025

Reviewed by Claire Roderick

3***

The Acting Gymnasium’s slick modern production of Othello looks at Shakespeare’s tragedy through the lens of PTSD and domestic violence. Adapted and directed by Gavin McAlinden, racial discrimination still simmers but this production is about damaged men and their inability to distinguish between love and control of “their” women.

The international cast work well as an ensemble on Esme Solomon’s stark stage and effectively convey the dry humour in many scenes. Catalin Panaite is wonderfully passionate as Brabantio, raging at the dishonour he perceives on hearing of Desdemona’s wedding. Krista Larsen plays Desdemona as a canny negotiator, practised in soothing the egos of men, and her growing confusion and despair as she realises Othello will never hear her is played beautifully. Having lived among soldiers returning from deployment, I was impressed with the choices made in this production. Aryan Chavda’s Othello is quietly powerful, showing his trauma subtly, while Lavan Jeyarupalingam shows Cassio’s PTSD clearly through his charming but mercurial temperament. Michael Claff steals the show as Iago – smoothly scheming and manipulating with silver-tongued ease and only showing his true brutal nature with those he thinks he owns and considers less than him – Roderigo (Wing-Ho Lin) and Emilia (Mia Black).

Portentous music is used sparingly and effectively and the production moves swiftly towards the tragic finale without losing the audience’s focus under Gavin McAlinden’s assured direction.

An impressive, thoughtful and entertaining adaptation of Shakespeare. Well worth a look.

Leeds Playhouse – until 8 February 2025

Reviewed by Dawn Smallwood

4****

Shellshocked is Philip Stokes’ new drama set after the Second World War but told to a 21st Century audience. Produced collaboratively by Richard Jordan, 412, Harrogate Theatre, Lawrence Batley Theatre, King Brilliant and Pleasance Theatre. It tells the story of Wesley (Jack Stokes), a young war veteran who has recently returned home, and Mr Lupine (Lee Bainbridge), an eccentric but troubled artist.

Wesley responds to an artistic apprentice with Mr Lupine and only to relive the horror and trauma of the war and how his shellshocked state of mind have an impact on himself and his surrounding environment. The impact unravels throughout and feeds into Mr Lupine’s delusional mind, Mr Lupine feels hurt, jealous and resentful because his health didn’t permit him to play an active part in the war and he feels he has missed out on the heroic and victorious experiences. Mr Lupine feels the exclusion has affected his artistic ability to authentically create and experiences feelings of emptiness. Wesley’s plight and heroism fuels further his jealously and manipulation with the young man’s vulnerability and obviously is unsympathetic to his trauma.

The play has its many unpredictable twists and turns, and nobody can exactly anticipate what happens next and its eventual outcomes that the characters face in the story. Dark driven themes and deep emotions run very deep throughout, and this builds up to an explosive crescendo where both characters reach their breaking points where there is no return.

The play explores the themes of post traumatic stress, wartime experiences, psychological disorders, vulnerability, loneliness and other similarities. It does remind one how much stigma there was to those attributes at that time, especially with men, and still this is experienced today worldwide.

Craig Lomas intimate staging is perfectly staged in the Playhouse’s Bramall Rock Void for its 2-man 70-minute play. Both Stokes and Bainbridge deliver excellent portrayals of both the troubled characters, Wesley and Mr Lupine respectively, living in a somewhat complex Post War World. Shellshocked offers plenty to evaluate and reflect on.

His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen – until Saturday 8th February

Reviewed by Fiona Leyman

4****

Shakespeare’s tragic tale of Romeo and Juliet is well known to all of us. How, one could not survive without the other, and how their forbidden love led to their premature deaths. One of Shakespeare’s most well-known works, this tale of true love has stood the test of time. But Anne Hathaway, his wife, wasn’t quite in agreement with the conclusion of her husband’s newest play. Anne pleads with her husband William, to allow her to change the tragic story’s conclusion. Suppose Juliet survived?

Given that she was not Romeo’s first and only love interest, Juliet can survive without him. Together with her best friend May, Nurse Angelique, and a new friend named April (Hathaway decides to write herself into her ending), Juliet flees to France to avoid being sent to a convent.

& Juliet is a coming-of-age twist on this classic tale. A jukebox musical that showcases Swedish composer Max Martin’s most popular songs. You will want to jump up and join the party after listening to the Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears, Kelly Clarkson, and Katy Perry, among other fan favourites.

Having seen this production during its West End residency at the Shaftesbury Theatre in London, I was interested in whether a touring company could deliver the same effect as its predecessor. It’s safe to say that the outstanding production crew of this award-winning musical met the highest expectations. With its rustic architecture, graffitied walls, and colourful props, set designer Soutra Gilmore (Guys & Dolls, Evita) creates a sense of modern Paris and Verona.

Paloma Young, a Tony Award-winning costume designer, creates flawless outfits. Her work is brought to life by fusing traditional 17th-century styles and hues with contemporary ones. Every costume is specially made to make each figure easily identifiable.

The character of William Shakespeare is played by The Wanted singer Jay McGuinness, who adds charm and comedy to the part. His relationship with Anne Hathaway, his on-stage wife, was outstanding, and their personas truly complemented one another.

Lee Latchford-Evans, best known for being in pop group Steps, played Frenchman Lance, and his performance was surprisingly good. To be honest, I hadn’t anticipated much because he has never had a powerful voice. However, he surprised me with an emotive vocal performance during his piece, Shape of My Heart, with his onstage son Francois. I must also add, I was very impressed he managed to walk and dance in those heels!

The most notable performance of the day was Lara Denning’s (Sunset Boulevard and Everybody’s Talking About Jamie) portrayal of Anne Hathaway. Her vocals, particularly during her solo of Céline Dion’s song That’s The Way It Is, blew the roof off His Majesty’s Theatre. It is admirable how much range she has in that powerful voice of hers.

Unfortunately, not every vocalist was as strong as the others in the cast. As their love grew during the show, Jordan Broatch (42 Balloons, You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown) as May and Kyle Cox (Treason, Crazy for You) as Francois lacked passion in their portrayals. Compared to the other performers on stage, their solo performances fell short of expectations. However, it was nice to see representations of modern relationships depicted on the stage.

The audience is sure to enjoy &Juliet‘s amazing score, lively humour, and fun-loving characters. It was very hard not to compare the quality of the cast to that of its West End predecessors because we were truly spoilt with that cast. Despite this, the production was outstanding for a touring group, as was the calibre of some of its performers.

 Birmingham Hippodrome – until 15th February 2025

Reviewed by Emma Millward 

5*****

Making its world premiere at Sadler’s Wells Theatre on 9th November 1995, Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake is celebrating 30 years of entertaining audiences worldwide.  Based on Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s 1877 ballet, this production is best known for having the female parts of the swan danced by men.  Sir Matthew Bourne updated the original ballet’s narrative to focus on a young Prince (Stephen Murray) and his repressed sexuality and disillusionment with his privileged life.

In the first act, we meet the Prince who awakens from nightmares of swans and tries to get comfort from his cold and emotionally distant Mother, the Queen (Ashley Shaw) who rebuffs him and leaves him to be looked after by the maids in the palace. His life revolves around doing his Princely duties alongside the Queen. Clever use of ropes and other props were used to depict ribbon cutting and boat christening.  The Prince meets the Girlfriend (Bryony Wood), a ditzy lady who infiltrates the royal family much to the Queen’s annoyance. Watching over the proceedings is the Private Secretary (James Lovell) who tries to control the behaviour of the Prince and the Girlfriend even if that involves paying people off.  

After being caught in a drunken state by the paparazzi, the Prince goes to the park intent on ending his life. Instead, he encounters the Swan (Jackson Fisch) that haunts his dreams and after an initial distrust, they dance together and fall in love. The choreography throughout the show is breathtaking, but for me, Act 2 set in the city park stayed with me. The swans are all barefooted, bare-chested and often aggressively hissing.  They manage to be sensual and powerful at the same time.  As with other Bourne/New Adventure productions, Lez Brotherton’s set and costume design is outstanding. The dimly lit park and lake set the scene perfectly for the pas de deux between the Prince and the Swan, and the group dance between the Prince and the other swans which leads him to rethink his desire to end his life. 

The Stranger (Jackson Fisch, in a dual role) is a dark and mysterious character who dominates the second half of the show. Both characters he plays in the show captivate the audience and I honestly couldn’t take my eyes off him. The chemistry between Jackson Fisch and Stephen Murray as the Swan and the Prince was electric throughout. The Prince’s descent into apparent madness before the devastating finale is emotional, and the prolonged standing ovation that followed was definitely deserved. 

The show is told entirely through dance (albeit the occasional silently mouthed word from the Girlfriend), so it is left to the audience to decide if the Swan is all in the Prince’s imagination or actually there.  This adds to the mystery of the production. Whether you are a seasoned fan of Ballet or a relative newcomer (like myself, having only previously seen Matthew Bourne’s Edward Scissorhands), Matthew Bourne and New Adventures continue to create shows that offer something for everyone. Thirty years and still going strong, this majestic and mesmerising show will definitely keep audiences enthralled for many more years to come.  

WEST END STAR

HADLEY FRASER

TO PERFORM

LIVE AT CADOGAN HALL

ON SUNDAY 15 JUNE 2025

ADAMA® Entertainment are delighted to announce that West End star Hadley Fraser will perform his first ever solo concert at Cadogan Hall on Sunday 15 June at 6.30pm. The event marks the launch of his upcoming album, Things That Come and Go, produced by Fraser and Donald L Anderson for Palm Haven Studios, with arrangements and co-production by Sam Young.

The concert is presented in association with ADAMA® Entertainment and WestWay Music – the producers of Jamie Muscato and Lucie Jones’ solo concerts. This special evening will feature songs from the new album alongside other musical theatre favourites. Tickets go on sale at 10am on Tuesday 11 February at www.cadoganhall.com.

Hadley Fraser is a leading West End actor with numerous credits in major productions to his name. Some of his more recent theatre credits include Opening Night (Gielgud Theatre), The Lehman Trilogy (Gillian Lynne Theatre) 2:22 A Ghost Story (Noel Coward Theatre), City Of Angels (Garrick Theatre), The Antipodes (National Theatre), The Deep Blue Sea (Chichester Festival Theatre), Young Frankenstein (Garrick Theatre), Saint Joan, City Of Angels, Coriolanus, The Vote (all Donmar Warehouse), Long Day’s Journey Into Night (Bristol Old Vic), The Winter’s Tale & Harlequinade (Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company at the Garrick Theatre), The Machine (Manchester International Festival & Park Avenue Armoury, NYC), The Pajama Game (Chichester Festival Theatre) and Les Miserables (Queens & Palace Theatres). He has workshopped extensively for the National Theatre, Donmar Warehouse, Almeida Theatre, Old Vic and many others. His concert work includes Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, The Secret Garden (both London Palladium), Chess (Theatre Royal, Drury Lane), South Pacific (National Concert Hall, Dublin), Carousel and The Light Princess (Cadogan Hall).

His film & television include The Gold, Gentleman Jack, All Is True, Murder On The Orient Express, The Legend Of Tarzan, Les Miserables, Decline & Fall, The Wrong Mans, Endeavour, Holby City, Doctor Who, Pompidou, Him and Sons Of Liberty.

Hadley wrote the book and lyrics for the musical Committee at the Donmar Warehouse. As a recording artist and musician he has appeared on numerous albums including his own Lights Around The Shore with jazz pianist Will Butterworth, and EP Just Let Go. Cast recordings include Opening Night, Young Frankenstein, The Pirate Queen, Before/After, The Phantom Of The Opera 25th Anniversary and Les Miserables 25th Anniversary. He has provided music for theatre productions including Measure For Measure (Donmar Warehouse) and Hobson’s Choice (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre), and on radio for Ross Noble: Britain In Bits. He has collaborated with artists and composers including Pete Townsend, Claude-Michel Schonberg, Adam Cork, Grant Olding, Joby Talbot, Joe Stilgoe, Jeremy Holland-Smith, Michael Bruce, Tom Deering, Laura Tisdall, Scott Alan, Ramin Karimloo & Stuart Matthew Price. Hadley co-presents the podcast Poddin’ On The Ritz with Ross Noble. He is a regular guest on BBC Radio 2’s Friday Night Is Music Night. Hadley is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music and Patron of PPA Guildford and Debut Performing Arts College, Manchester.

LISTINGS INFORMATION

Sunday 15 June 2025

Cadogan Hall

5 Sloane Terrace

London 

SW1X 9DQ

Performance: 6.30pm

Tickets: From £18

Box Office: 020 7730 4500

Website: www.cadoganhall.com
Instagram: @hadleyfraser @adamaentertainment @f_w_live

Theatre Royal, Nottingham – until Saturday 15th February 2025

Reviewed by Chris Jarvis

5*****

This production brings “a rainbow of joy to the audience!”

Originally commissioned in 1968 to write a bible story set to pop music for a school production, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, chose the character of Joseph from the Children’s Wonder Book of Bible Stories as a story of jealousy, revenge and forgiveness with a happy ending. The 22-minute musical was performed to an audience of only 200 parents. Five years later Joseph and his Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat – fondly becoming known as simply “Joseph” – reached the West End. Now, almost 60 years later hundreds of amateur and professional versions are performed across the world every year and it has become a musical phenomenon that is loved by audiences of every generation.

For those like me who have never seen this musical, it is based on the life of the biblical character Joseph (Adam Filipe), the second youngest of twelve brothers. He is a handsome young man, known for his ability to interpret dreams and was the favoured son of his father Jacob who gave him an “amazing coat of many colours.” He is sold into slavery by his jealous brothers who convince Jacob that a wild animal killed Joseph.

Joseph becomes a servant in Egypt and ends up imprisoned after advances from his master’s wife. While in prison his ability to interpret dreams makes him extremely popular. The Egyptian Pharaoh (Joe McElderry) has troubling dreams and, hearing of Joseph’s talent summons him to interpret them.

Joseph correctly interprets these dreams, and this leads to his rise to a prominent position in Egypt where he predicts and helps prepare for a famine. During this famine, Joseph’s starving brothers come to Egypt seeking food, unaware that the powerful official they are dealing with is their long-lost brother. After giving his brothers a scare as payback for their treatment of him in the past, he reveals his identity, grants them all they desire, and reunites the family.

You’d be forgiven for thinking that’s not a particularly exciting story! However, it is told through incredible narration, humour, dance and songs that you will immediately recognise. Although set in Ancient Egypt the musical opens in current times with children dressed in jeans and tee shirts and Christina Bianco explaining the story to the children. Her casting in the programme as “Narrator” is an understatement – she is sensational!! She sings and dances ‘her’ audience through the story, taking on numerous characters including Joseph’s father Jacob, clearly having a great time and ensuring we did too! She is the ‘star of the show’!

Every song is performed to a different theme with Pharaoh’s ‘Song of the King’ performed by Joe McElderry as pure Elvis including the hip action, in a brilliant gold set of ancient Egypt. The most hilarious set for me was the performance of ‘Those Canaan Days’ with Joseph’s 11 brothers in a French café mourning the loss of their brother as they face the famine. Adam Filipe gives his all as Joseph with an incredible voice and brings his beautiful ‘coat of many colours’ to life with his energetic and powerful dancing. The children throughout are incredible – both those playing children and those fitting in so well as adults.

All in all, a hugely entertaining performance that deserved the standing ovation and then continued with the audience joining in with a fantastic finale – a medley of joyful and colourful song and dance.