FULL CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR THE NATIONAL THEATRE’S NEW ADAPTATION OF THE JUNGLE BOOK
INDHU RUBASINGHAM DIRECTS ANUPAMA CHANDRASEKHAR’S REIMAGINING OF RUDYARD KIPLING’S TIMELESS FAMILY TALE WITH INNOVATIVE PUPPETRY BY LUME: NICK BARNES AND FINN CALDWELL
OLIVIER WINNER HIRAN ABEYSEKERA AS MOWGLI
TICKETS ON SALE NOW
The National Theatre today announces full casting for Anupama Chandrasekhar’s (The Father and the Assassin) new play, an adaptation of Rudyard Kipling’s beloved family tale The Jungle Book. This world premiere isdirected by Indhu Rubasingham, with Olivier winning actor Hiran Abeysekera as Mowgli and innovative puppetry byLume: Nick Barnes and Finn Caldwell. This thrilling new adaptation will bring the jungle roaring to life on the Olivier stage from Friday 13 November2026 to Saturday 6 February 2027.
The full cast alongside Hiran Abeysekera is: Parkey Abeyratne (Raksha Head), Azan Ahmed and Sebastian Charles (rotating the roles of Baloo & Baloo Head), Sarah Amankwah and Laura Cubbit (rotating the roles of Bagheera & Bagheera Hind), Kazeem Tosin Amore (Shere Khan Head), Antony Antunes (Onstage Swing), Ankur Bahl (Kaa & Bijoy), Eryck Brahmania (Devan Head), Darcy Braimoh (Shere Khan Hind), Lucca Chadwick-Patel (A & Chottu), Fred Davis and Ali Goldsmith (rotating the roles of Moti Head & Wild Pig), Ayesha Dharker (Raksha & Messua), Valentine Hanson (Mahout), Romina Hytten (Onstage Swing & Puppetry Captain), Sasha Jagsi (Neela), Tony Jayawardena (Moti), Rebecca Killick and Sarah Mardel (rotating the roles of Bagheera Heart & Wild Fowl), Avye Leventis (B & Tabaqui), Michael Jean-Marain (Onstage Swing), Kel Matsena (Shere Khan), Sifiso Mazibuko (Akela), Jordan Metcalfe (Cat), Shaun Yusuf McKee (Devan), Sharita Oomeer (Stork), Mahesh Parmar (C & Sonu)and Gavin L Vincent (Akela Head).
Speaking about the world premiere of The Jungle Book, Director Indhu Rubasingham,said:
‘The Jungle Book is the first film I have a memory of going to see in the cinema, I remember being petrified when Shere Khan appeared on screen and hiding under the cinema seat. Anupama’s new version for the stage will enchant a new generation, whilst surprising those who feel that they know it well. This truly feels like a global endeavour – we’re drawing on the rich storytelling culture inherent in India, a large cast of 30 extraordinary performers, a cinematic orchestral score by one of Spain’s leading composers and the best of this country’s puppetry teams bringing these beloved characters to life.’
Director Indhu Rubasingham is joined in the artistic team by set and costume designer Rajha Shakiry, puppetry by Lume:Nick Barnes and Finn Caldwell, movement director FinnCaldwell, composer Fernando Velázquez, lighting designer Oliver Fenwick, video designer Ash J Woodward, sound designer Benjamin Grant, casting directors Bryony Jarvis-Taylor CDG and Martin Poile CDG, dialect coach Shereen Ibrahim, voice coach Cathleen McCarron, associate director John Young, associate set designer Ruth Hall, associate costume designer Jasmine Araujo, associate puppetry and movement director Scarlet Wilderink, associate puppet designer Caroline Bowman, associate sound designer Jonas Roebuck.
In the mangroves of the Sundarbans, wolves howl, birds soar and tigers’ roar. At the heart of this wild and vibrant kingdom, an unlikely child is growing up… Mowgli.
Danger stalks the shadows, and threats lie hidden beneath every rock. To protect his family, his friends and the only home he has ever known, this young hero must first discover who he really is and where he truly belongs.
Anupama Chandrasekhar is part of a new studio programme supported by CHANEL Culture Fund that champions creativity and global storytelling. The International Artist Residencies based at the National Theatre Studio offer long-term placements, providing the time, space and resources needed to develop ambitious, innovative work that shapes and engages with culture worldwide.
This production is supported by the Bagri Foundation. Dr Alka Bagri, Trustee of the Foundation said today:
‘From the moment we began supporting Indhu Rubasingham’s exciting new chapter of leadership at the National Theatre, we have been looking forward to this bold new adaptation of The Jungle Book by Anupama Chandrasekhar. It speaks directly to the Bagri Foundation’s commitment to championing stories from Asia that are reimagined through fresh, non-Western perspectives. With Chandrasekhar’s distinctive voice, extraordinary puppetry by Lume and a stellar cast, this promises to be a production that not only brings a much-loved story vividly to life but allows us to see it anew. We believe its imagination and humanity will resonate far beyond the walls of the National Theatre.’
This production is also supported by Kusuma Trust. Soma Pujari, Co-Founder and Executive Trustee of the Trust said:
‘We are delighted to support this vibrant reimagining of The Jungle Book, which beautifully celebrates the richness and complexity of Indian storytelling on a global stage.’
The Jungle Bookwill play in the Olivier theatre Friday 13 November 2026 to Saturday 6 February 2027, with a press performance on Monday 30 November 2026, 7pm.
Producers Darren Bell and Cuffe & Taylor are delighted to announce that Broadway and West End superstars Megan Hilty and Rachel Tucker will play Lorelei Lee and Dorothy Shaw, respectively, in a new concert production of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, with direction and choreography by Tony Award-winner Warren Carlyle. The concert will run at the London Palladium for three performances across 26 and 27 March 2027.
Tickets are on sale from 18 September 2026.
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, the classic Broadway musical with music by Jule Styne, lyrics by Leo Robin, and a book by Anita Loos and Joseph Fields, comes to The London Palladium in a new concert staging featuring an orchestra of 30 musicians. Set aboard an ocean liner bound for Paris, the musical follows Lorelei Lee and Dorothy Shaw through a sharp and glamorous comedy featuring songs including “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend”, “A Little Girl from Little Rock”, and “Bye Bye Baby”. The original musical opened on Broadway in 1949 with Carol Channing as Lorelei. It was later adapted into the 1953 film starring Marilyn Monroe as Lorelei and Jane Russell as Dorothy.
Tony Award-nominated star of stage and screen, Megan Hilty (Death Becomes Her, Smash, Wicked, 9 to 5: The Musical), will play Lorelei Lee, a role she previously played in New York City Center’s acclaimed production of Encores!. Hilty also has a notable connection to Marilyn Monroe, who famously played Lorelei Lee on the big screen. In Smash, Hilty starred as Ivy Lynn, who portrayed Monroe in the fictional Broadway musical Bombshell.
Olivier Award-nominated actress, Rachel Tucker (Wicked, Come From Away, Sunset Boulevard, Thelma and Louise), will play the role of Dorothy Shaw. One of the West End’s best-known and best-loved leading ladies, Tucker’s career has taken her from major London productions to Broadway, and back again.
Following 17 Broadway productions, Warren Carlyle (Hello, Dolly!, The Music Man), winner of the Tony Award for Best Choreography for After Midnight, returns to London to direct and choreograph his first production here in more than 25 years. Olivier Award winner Alan Williams (Sunset Boulevard, Evita) will lead the orchestra. They will be joined by Set and Costume Designer Rebecca Brower, Lighting Designer Zoe Spurr, Associate Choreographer Joanna Goodwin and Associate Director Mark Hedges, with ensemble casting by Pearsons Casting and general management by QUBE Theatricals.
Producers Darren Bell for Darren Bell Productions and Peter Taylor & Sam Griffiths for Cuffe & Taylor said: “Event theatre has become a staple of London’s theatre calendar, and we wanted our next show to return to the scale of golden age musical theatre. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes gives us huge tap numbers, an orchestra of 30 musicians, and a production made for The London Palladium. Bringing Megan back to Lorelei after her two sold-out London concerts, opposite Rachel Tucker as Dorothy, felt totally irresistible. With Warren Carlyle directing and choreographing, audiences can expect big company dance, plenty of tap, and a proper Broadway spectacle on the Palladium stage.”
Further casting to be announced.
Presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals Ltd on behalf of Tams-Witmark LLC. www.concordtheatricals.co.uk
LISTINGS INFORMATION
GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES IN CONCERT
26 March 2027 at 2.30pm & 7.30pm & 27 March 2027 at 7.30pm
Nominations announced for the UK Theatre Awards 2026 sponsored by Encore
The nominees for the UK Theatre Awards 2026 sponsored by Encore have been announced. For over 30 years, this annual event has celebrated the creative excellence and outstanding achievements seen on and off stage throughout England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The winners will be announced at this year’s ceremony, taking place on Monday 12 October at 8 Northumberland Avenue, hosted by La Voix. With nominees representing all four nations, this year’s shortlist showcases the incredible range and quality of theatre seen across the UK over the past year.
In the performing categories, Isis Hainsworth (Measure For Measure, a Royal Shakespeare Company production), Adrian Lester (Cyrano De Bergerac, a Royal Shakespeare Company production), and Katie Redford & Benedict Salter (Scenes From A Friendship, a Nottingham Playhouse production) are nominated for Best Performance in a Play, whilst Hadley Fraser (My Fair Lady, a Chichester Festival Theatre production), Annette McLaughlin (Follies, a Northern Ireland Opera production at Grand Opera House, Belfast), and Julianne Pundan (Miss Saigon, a Cameron Mackintosh production in association with Michael Harrison) receive nominations for Best Performance in a Musical. The nominees for Best Supporting Performance (in a Musical or Play) are Ash Hunter (The Meat Kings! (Inc.) Of Brooklyn Heights, a Papatango Theatre Company & Park Theatre co-production), Lydia Louise (Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, a Watermill Theatre production) and Gloria Obianyo (As You Like It, a Theatre Royal Bath Productions production).
The nominees for Best Musical Production sponsored by Tysers Live are Calendar Girls The Musical (a Stephen Joseph Theatre, Theatre by the Lake, New Wolsey Theatre & Octagon Theatre Bolton co-production), The High Life (a National Theatre of Scotland & Dundee Rep Theatre co-production in association with Aberdeen Performing Arts and Capital Theatres, co-written by original creators of the TV show, Alan Cumming & Forbes Masson), Kiss Of The Spiderwoman (a Curve, Bristol Old Vic & Mayflower Southampton co-production), and Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street (a Birmingham Rep production). For Best New Play sponsored by Ecclesiastical Insurance, the nominees are Black Sheep (a curious directive production at Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds & New Wolsey Theatre), The Last Stand Of Mrs. Mary Whitehouse (a Nottingham Playhouse, Eleanor Lloyd Productions & Kate Pakenham co-production), and Ava Pickett’s The Manningtree Witches (a Mercury Original in association with Frantic Assembly, supported by Eleanor Lloyd Productions). For Best Play Revival, the Michael Sheen-led Our Town (a Welsh National Theatre & Rose Theatre co-production), Road (a Royal Exchange Theatre production), and Small Island (a Leeds Playhouse, Birmingham Rep & Nottingham Playhouse co-production in association with Actors Touring Company) receive nominations. The nominees for Best Show for Children & Young People are Beauty And The Beast (a Citizens Theatre production), No Such Thing As Wolves (a Birmingham Hippodrome production), and Treasure Island (a Bristol Old Vic production).
In the creative categories, the nominees for Best Director are Abigail Graham (Living, a Sheffield Theatres production), Emma Jordan (The Human Voice, a Prime Cut Productions production at Lyric Theatre Belfast), and Tom Littler (Love’s Labour’s Lost & Much Ado About Nothing, a Guildford Shakespeare Company & Orange Tree Theatre co-production). The nominees for Best Design are Jenny Booth (Set & Costume Design), Garry Boyle (Sound Design), Daniel Hughes (Creative Captioning) & Emma Jones (Lighting Design) (The Singer, a Dundee Rep Theatre & Solar Bear co-production in association with Aberdeen Performing Arts), Ceci Calf (Set & Costume Design) (The Assassination Of Margaret Thatcher, a Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse production), and Terry Parsons (Set Design) (Jack And Sarah, a The Mill at Sonning production).
In Dance & Opera, each category showcases nominees representing England, Scotland and Wales, with National Dance Company Wales (for Surge | Gwefr), Scottish Ballet (for Mary, Queen of Scots), and Yorke Dance Project (for Modern Milestones) nominated for Achievement in Dance, and English Touring Opera (for the ambition and breadth of their programming in venues across the country), Jack Furness (for his direction of The Flying Dutchman by Welsh National Opera), and Scottish Opera (for their commitment to championing new work through their productions of The Galloping Cure and The Great Wave) nominated for Achievement in Opera.
Many UK Theatre members have received multiple nominations; Nottingham Playhouse leads the way with four, for Best Performance in a Play, Best New Play, and Best Play Revival, in addition to their previously announced nomination for UK’s Most Welcoming Theatre. They are closely followed by fellow UK’s Most Welcoming Theatre finalist Theatr Clwyd, receiving a total of three nominations; they are also shortlisted for Excellence in Touring sponsored by Theatre Tokens and Excellence in Sustainability. Other categories in the coveted ‘Off Stage Awards’ are Excellence in Arts Education, Excellence in Inclusivity, and Excellence in Workforce Culture.
Claire Walker & Hannah Essex, Co-CEOs of Society of London Theatre & UK Theatre, said:
“This year’s UK Theatre Awards nominations celebrate the extraordinary breadth of talent, creativity and dedication across our industry, and the vital role theatres play at the heart of communities across the UK.
“Audiences continue to flock to their local theatre in huge numbers, but as we look ahead to the Budget, we must ensure that our members have the support they need to continue reaching audiences across the country. This is why we are calling on the Chancellor for an expansion of Theatre Tax Relief to support touring costs and relief on business rates. These simple measures will enable greater access to the fantastic venues and productions that we are celebrating in these awards.
“We look forward to celebrating the very best of UK theatre on Monday 12 October. Congratulations to all the nominees, and thank you to our sponsors and partners for their support.”
The UK Theatre Awards 2026 are sponsored by Encore, the premier provider of lighting equipment for theatre productions across the UK, including London’s West End, Off-West End, Europe, and Asia, as well as numerous UK and international tours.
Additional thanks to Award Sponsors Theatre Tokens and Tysers Live in association with Ecclesiastical; Official Partners John Good, Marquee TV, The Noël Coward Foundation, SINE, Theatrical Rights Worldwide, and Trafalgar Entertainment; and Official After Party Partner Preevue.
Full list of nominations for the UK Theatre Awards 2026 sponsored by Encore
On Stage Awards:
Best Musical Production sponsored by Tysers Live Calendar Girls The Musical, a Stephen Joseph Theatre, Theatre by the Lake, New Wolsey Theatre & Octagon Theatre Bolton co-production The High Life, a National Theatre of Scotland & Dundee Rep Theatre co-production in association with Aberdeen Performing Arts and Capital Theatres Kiss Of The Spiderwoman, a Curve, Bristol Old Vic & Mayflower Southampton co-production Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street, a Birmingham Rep production
Best New Play sponsored by Ecclesiastical Insurance Black Sheep, a curious directive production at Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds & New Wolsey Theatre The Last Stand Of Mrs. Mary Whitehouse, a Nottingham Playhouse, Eleanor Lloyd Productions & Kate Pakenham co-production The Manningtree Witches, a Mercury Original in association with Frantic Assembly, supported by Eleanor Lloyd Productions
Best Play Revival Our Town, a Welsh National Theatre & Rose Theatre co-production Road, a Royal Exchange Theatre production Small Island, a Leeds Playhouse, Birmingham Rep & Nottingham Playhouse co-production in association with Actors Touring Company
Best Director Abigail Graham for Living, a Sheffield Theatres production Emma Jordan for The Human Voice, a Prime Cut Productions production at Lyric Theatre Belfast Tom Littler for Love’s Labour’s Lost & Much Ado About Nothing, a Guildford Shakespeare Company & Orange Tree Theatre co-production
Best Performance in a Musical Hadley Fraser for My Fair Lady, a Chichester Festival Theatre production Annette McLaughlin for Follies, a Northern Ireland Opera production at Grand Opera House, Belfast Julianne Pundan for Miss Saigon, a Cameron Mackintosh production in association with Michael Harrison
Best Performance in a Play Isis Hainsworth for Measure For Measure, a Royal Shakespeare Company production Adrian Lester for Cyrano De Bergerac, a Royal Shakespeare Company production Katie Redford & Benedict Salter for Scenes From A Friendship, a Nottingham Playhouse production
Best Supporting Performance (in a Musical or Play) Ash Hunter for The Meat Kings! (Inc.) Of Brooklyn Heights, a Papatango Theatre Company & Park Theatre co-production Lydia Louise for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, a Watermill Theatre production Gloria Obianyo for As You Like It, a Theatre Royal Bath Productions production
Best Design Jenny Booth (Set & Costume Design), Garry Boyle (Sound Design), Daniel Hughes (Creative Captioning) & Emma Jones (Lighting Design) for The Singer, a Dundee Rep Theatre & Solar Bear co-production in association with Aberdeen Performing Arts Ceci Calf (Set & Costume Design) for The Assassination Of Margaret Thatcher, a Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse production Terry Parsons (Set Design) for Jack And Sarah, a The Mill at Sonning production
Best Show for Children & Young People Beauty And The Beast, a Citizens Theatre production No Such Thing As Wolves, a Birmingham Hippodrome production Treasure Island, a Bristol Old Vic production
Achievement in Dance National Dance Company Wales for Surge | Gwefr Scottish Ballet for Mary, Queen of Scots Yorke Dance Project for Modern Milestones
Achievement in Opera English Touring Opera for the ambition and breadth of their programming in venues across the country Jack Furness for his direction of The Flying Dutchman by Welsh National Opera Scottish Opera for their commitment to championing new work through their productions of The Galloping Cure and The Great Wave
Off Stage Awards:
Excellence in Arts Education Buxton Opera House Curve Polka Theatre
Excellence in Touring sponsored by Theatre Tokens East Anglian Touring Consortium Northern Ballet Theatr Clwyd
Excellence in Inclusivity National Youth Theatre Northern Stage The Theatre Chipping Norton
Excellence in Sustainability Mercury Theatre The Old Vic Theatr Clwyd
Excellence in Workforce Culture Blackpool Grand Theatre Swindon Theatres Wales Millennium Centre
UK’s Most Welcoming Theatre sponsored by Encore Nottingham Playhouse Theatr Clwyd Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds
The Hope Theatre, Islington – until 19th September 2026
Reviewed by Bobbi Fenton
5*****
From the moment the audience enters the room, Spontaneous Meets Are Not for the Weak immediately draws you into its world. Before the play has even officially begun, Actor Philip Ofe is already there, in character as ‘A’, silently scrolling through his phone, leaving the audience feeling as though we have walked straight into the middle of his evening. This clever opening immediately immerses us in the story and sets the intimate tone for the hour that follows.
The play follows two people who could hardly be more different. He (Philip Ofe) is awkward, constantly second-guessing himself and worrying about getting everything exactly right, and is there after getting the wrong date for his graduation. She (Emma Bostock) is much more confident and open, looking for a distraction from a messy situation with her boy-best friend and his girlfriend. Their meeting begins with small talk before quickly moving into much deeper and more personal conversations, covering everything from religion and spirituality to trauma and sexual preferences.
Despite their differences, there is something about their encounter that makes it feel as though they were supposed to meet at exactly that moment, a subject that they touch upon for a moment as they discuss their beliefs on the concept of fate and destiny. Both arrive carrying their own problems and, although neither initially knows what they are looking for from the other, their meeting provides something that both of them seem to need. Within just 24 hours, they develop a genuine concern for each other’s wellbeing, with moments of humour sitting alongside much more vulnerable conversations. Although their meeting is brief, it is clear that both characters leave a lasting impression on one another.
Philip Ofe’s perfectly timed and well-executed facial expressions and gestures create laughs during moments of silence without needing a word, and Emma Bostock has a real talent for knowing how to draw out an intense or emotional moment just long enough to feel the full effect.
One detail that I especially love about this Play is that neither character has a real ‘name’. Philip Ofe’s character is ‘A’ and Emma Bostock’s character is ‘B’, and even those aren’t mentioned at all during the performance. I love this as a writing choice as it makes it even easier for the audience to relate to the characters, and see themselves in either role, further adding to the immersive nature of this Play.
The ending is perhaps the most intriguing part of the play. Rather than providing a definite conclusion, it leaves the audience wondering whether Jane and John will meet again, and what circumstances could bring them back together. It certainly left me wanting more and eager to know what happens next.
Festival Theatre, Malvern – until 19th September 2026
Reviewed by Courie Amado Juneau
5*****
Since catching Blithe Spirit in an amateur production, I love Noel Coward. Catching a new play I had never seen before from the master’s pen, I was anticipating a treat.
The story revolved around established star Geri and an exploration of her social network (mostly friends and ex’s dependent on her continued fame) and how her love life (and that of others) affected the delicate dynamics in her life, with predictably farcical results.
Via some period music and a “curtain” showing a montage of newspaper headlines displaying the social whirl of Geri at all the fashionable places with the in crowd (like Warhol or Princess Margaret), the scene was quickly set without the need for rambling monologues. Once the curtain went up we found ourselves in the company of David Stillington – he who has lost his apartment keys and taken advantage of Geri’s spare bedroom and dressing gown…
Tracy-Ann Oberman is, of course, the lead and star of this show. She gave a sizzling performance, dazzling as a lady in her 40’s (ahem) who none could resist. I sure couldn’t! Every inch the star she is in real life – bringing this to the stage with a joyous conviction that does her and this production credit.
The rest of the cast were an ensemble affair of equal stars that also shined in the glittering firmament that Geri swept across. All had their own personalities and moments to hog the spotlight. All were wonderful. But James Dreyfus (playing secretary Monty) was a standout with an at times subtle, empathetic performance and at other times lovely Constable Goody moments of incredulity at the unfolding farce.
Arguably the biggest laugh of the evening was saved for Kit Young (as Johannes). The villain of the piece in many ways, his comeuppence was delicious – and I’m having to really resist telling you why. It’s worth going for this moment alone (you’ll know when it happens). I’m guessing kudos to Director Lindsay Posner for this masterstroke.
If you like 1970s fashion and music then this play will be right up your street as it evokes that era that style forgot with the precision of the Studio 54 disco lasers. With wigs, hair and makeup by Lee-Ellen Wilson and Bunny as Wardrobe Manager, deftly deploying costumes by Designer Peter McKintosh – this is a very stylish affair.
Which is more than can be said for the bedroom shenanigans that everyone was involved in! Those were heady times. I’ve read plenty of biographies of classic 70s rock bands so this was very familiar ground. I’m not sure if the 1939 original had the same level of decadence – I’d sure like to see the original to get a comparison.
And that’s something that impressed me. That the play left me longing for more. Longing to see the original which, I understand from overhearing a group in the foyer afterwards, has been liberally rewritten but with key lines still intact. I gather fans of the original won’t be jarred or disappointed – so rest assured classic Coward fans.
All in all, a pretty flawless performance which thoroughly deserves the full 5 stars I’m happy to award it.
Million Dollar Quartet is only the second show to be staged at The Arts at Marble Arch theatre which opened in July 2026 as a temporary 500+ seat venue while the original Arts Theatre undergoes redevelopment. It’s a decent space for audience and performers, but situated in the middle of what is effectively a roundabout, it does suffer occasionally from rorty traffic noise. It’s situated more or less where an ill conceived artificial hill – the Marble Arch Mound – was recently erected. Let’s hope it’s much more successful with the public…
I first tapped my feet along to Million Dollar Quartet back in 2011 when it was staged at the Nöel Coward Theatre following a Broadway debut in 2010, and earlier US productions dating back to 2006.
Although not the first ever Jukebox musical (apparently John Gay’s 1728 The Beggar’s Operais considered the earliest historical ancestor!), Million Dollar Quartet has to be among the earliest, but is especially significant for sampling the work of several high profile performers rather than a single artist, at a key inflexion point in the growth of rock ’n’ roll in the late 1950s.
It reimagines a unique occasion – the only time that four early greats of rock ’n’ roll – Elvis Presley (played by Connor Payne), Johnny Cash (Christopher Erasmus), Carl Perkins (Joey Bradick) and Jerry Lee Lewis (Joe Bence) came together with now legendary studio owner and producer Sam Phillips (Darren Day) at Sun Studios on 4th December 1956.
The complete recordings of the actual event are available on Amazon and amount to 47 tracks (with some repetition). It’s vaguely disappointing to find that only three of those 47 songs feature in the show, but hey, producers need a commercial show and audiences want to hear the hits, and the writers (Colin Escott and Floyd Mutrux) have conjured a thoroughly plausible and compelling story to tell with some wonderful dialogue. It’s interesting though that Presley songs seem rather under represented in the programme, and of the 22 songs in the show only four are written by members of the MDQ.
Whilst little, if anything, seems to have changed in the body of the 2026 version of the show, (to coin a phrase popular in the southern US states “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”), it succeeds in elevating performance and production values to new heights. Director Jonathan O’Boyle has polished this production to near perfection, and yet again, I leave the theatre marvelling at the versatility and breadth and depth of performing talent we have in the UK.
The stage set (Libby Watson) is the Sun Studio (formerly the Magic Throttle auto-parts store) and looks suitably of the period with a black and white tiled floor and gold records and photographs of artists on the walls. Instruments and equipment lie scattered around. The main wall is dominated by the control booth window behind which Phillips retires during “recording”. A nice touch is a fan of ceiling mounted strip lighting echoing the sun’s rays feature of the Sun Studio logo. Lighting design (Alex Musgrave) works a treat and movement of people (Joanna Goodwin) and equipment is slickly choreographed without appearing to be so.
In terms of dramatic structure, Darren Day is naturally engaging and charismatic as a front man introducing and narrating the show in a pronounced Alabaman drawl, and amusing with razor sharp reactions to occasional audience interventions. The show intersperses narration and dialogue which usually leads to a song, often paused for brief segments of talk and then restarted or finished off. This technique generates a realistic feeling of being present at a recording session. This feeling is reinforced by the way bass and drums keep noodling away during some of the narration and dialogue exchanges. Dialogue is particularly well written – convincing and equally well performed.
The occasion is meant to be a Carl Perkins recording session, but he’s late and Jerry Lee Lewis is the first to arrive, on spec from Ferriday Louisiana. Followed by Perkins, Johnny Cash and finally Elvis Presley with girlfriend Dyanne (Jenay Naima). Although the four main performers (MDQ) are playing on stage from the very beginning, their character introductions and back stories are revealed one by one as they each take a turn in the spotlight for their signature songs.
The seriously impressive band – the MDQ plus Brother Jay Perkins (Geraint Downing) on upright bass and W S ‘Fluke’ Holland (Jacob Evans) on drums – is tighter than a body builder’s vest with superb sound. In particular Joey Bradick as Perkins on guitar and Joe Bence as Jerry Lee on piano are masterful, with Downing superb on bass plus tricks, and Evans immaculate on drums .
All the performers are very fine singers, but Christopher Erasmus’ baritone as Johnny Cash is probably the truest to his character, with his Sixteen Tons a favourite of the evening for me, whilst the quartet and Dyanne’s harmony work is stellar. Connor Payne’s That’s Alright is almost indistinguishable from Presley, and surely Jerry Lee himself would have admired Bence’s show closing rendition of Whole Lotta Shakin’. Jenay Naima as Dyanne cults through the testosterone with a sultry Fever and hard rocking I Hear You Knocking to great audience reception.
The show’s 2 hours of running time really does pass in a flash and culminates in a spectacular finale with a killer sequence guaranteed to get a primed and pent up audience on their feet to clap and boogie along to Hound Dog, Ghost Riders in the Sky, See You Later Alligator and Whole Lotta Shakin. The audience absolutely loved this show.
Quite simply, Million Dollar Quartet is a superbly realised juke box musical that is not only fun, it will nourish and sustain you. It’s a five star production offering nothing less than five star entertainment.
Theatre Royal. Nottingham – until 19th September 2026
Reviewed by Lauren Fordham
4****
‘The Silence of the Lambs’ is a book written by Thomas Harris in 1988 but it imprinted itself permanently on the public consciousness in the multi-award-winning 1991 film. Directed by Jonathan Demme, it starred Anthony Hopkins, as imprisoned brilliant psychiatrist and also cannibalistic serial killer Dr Hannibal Lecter, and Jodie Foster as Clarice Starling, a trainee FBI agent who has been tasked with eliciting information from Lecter about a serial killer, ‘Buffalo Bill’ that the FBI are trying to catch. However, Lecter will only give information about ‘Buffalo Bill’ on a quid pro quo basis, the condition being that Starling first shares her childhood traumas with him.
Now, for the first time, writer Gina Gionfriddo has adapted the story for the stage.
John Partridge plays Lecter, and he does so with a seductive suavity in both voice and manner that is evocative of an abusive husband, drawing Starling in with silky-voiced sophistry, until she angers him and he snaps, with the sudden violence of a camouflaged saltwater crocodile. This approach is a shrewd strategy since the distance of the audience means that he cannot rely, and sensibly does not seek to replicate, Hopkins’ captivating, clear-eyed close-ups.
Mollie Gallagher handles her professional theatre debut as deftly Starling does her weapon in the shooting range, neither missing a single mark throughout the show. Her Starling is sensitive and maternal as well as a shrewd sharpshooter, illustrated by the way she promises the man who finds Frederica Bimmel’s body that she will treat her with dignity. Here I must pay tribute to Carolyn Downing’s sound design, because the muted wailing effects when Bimmel’s body is turned both evoke a bloodcurdling echo of the way she was killed and also imply a trapped spirit still suffering, an idea which is positively spine-chilling.
Sam Jackson’s murderer Jame Gumb (nicknamed ‘Buffalo Bill’ by the press because he flays his victims, using their skin to make clothing intended for his dead mother) is almost pitiful as he watches his mother’s beauty pageant videos (projections powerfully designed by George Reeve). He also deliberately evokes pity outside the nightclub when he puts his arm in a sling and asks women to help him get home, a scarily successful deception in life as well as art by real serial killers like Ted Bundy.
I’m sure he would have been petrifying as he paced the floor above the pit where he incarcerated his victims, but unfortunately due to the overhang of the stage where I was seated, the upper level was impossible to see, and this greatly reduced the impact he had on me. Likewise, Jo Mousley’s attempt as Senator Ruth Martin to implore Gumb to release her daughter, the feisty Catherine (Lottie Amor) sounded statesmanlike but it was a shame that I couldn’t see her.
This is an unfortunate, unavoidable clash of production design with accident – the lift providing access to the ideal seats for full-time wheelchair users is currently broken, so our view is currently restricted by the overhang. I don’t seek to attribute blame as these things often cannot be helped and I would not discourage full-time wheelchair users from seeing the show in any way, and thank staff for keeping me informed, but other venues might offer unrestricted views.
Michael Taylor’s set design is both naturalistic, effective and evocative – the prison catwalk and staircase does double duty representing both Starling’s path to interview Lecter and also Jame Gumb/Buffalo Bill’s house. Lecter’s cell is suitably claustrophobic and transparent, reflecting his total lack of privacy and the ability of prison staff to surveillance him 24/7, but also seemed over-cluttered, with paintings constructed with items like pens which he isn’t allowed to have. Taylor made an inspired decision to have Lecter’s cell rotate to reveal Jame Gumb/Buffalo Bill’s house, subtly reminding the audience that although Lecter is helping Clarice in Gumb’s case, neither she nor the audience should be lulled into a false sense of security, Lecter is still just as dangerous a killer as Gumb is, and that Lecter is always working on his own escape plan, even when he is not visible onstage.
Howard Hudson’s lighting design is captivating and adds much to the drama of the piece, particularly during Lecter’s escape. I also appreciated the arresting sounds and lights of Starling’s photography during the autopsy scenes. I did think that the dialogue around the moth in the corpse’s throat could have been enhanced with a projection allowing the audience to see it, but I appreciate that this may have been a deliberate (and commendable) choice so as not to be seen to be copying the iconic imagery of the 1991 film.
This unique and trailblazing stage production is just as captivating and chilling as the iconic film, in different ways. Grab a glass of Chianti, and enjoy an interpretation that will stay with you long after the applause (and maybe the lambs, Clarice?) has gone silent.
We had arranged to go and see the performance of ‘Jane Eyre’ at the Windsor Royal Theatre last night, and since our son was heading back to Uni later this week, we decided to bring him along too. Early in the afternoon, though, I did wonder whether it would really be his kind of ‘thing’ — perhaps a little more cultured or literary than he might usually go for. I have to admit that since I hadn’t read the book either, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect! Suffice to say, I needn’t have worried.
The play takes Charlotte Bronte’s book “Jane Eyre”, adapted for the stage by Nick Young and Ross Muir (the latter also appearing in the play), using just a simple stage set and the five remarkable actors, playing the parts of 14 characters from the book.
The book, as I understand from Wikipedia (other online encyclopaedias are available), tells the story of Jane Eyre, and her life experiences from an abused orphaned child up until her marriage to Mr Rochester. It’s quite a long book, but the play sufficiently summarises the story to remain meaningful whilst avoiding being laborious (I have seen some plays which I can only describe as an endurance rather than an enjoyment).
Whilst the scenery is rather simple, the costumes on the other hand are sublime. It did take me a few minutes to get accustomed to the use of 19th century language and prose, which the actors deliver so naturally, interspersed with an occasional musical interlude performed by the same actors equipped with guitar, cello and an accordion. These little dittys throughout the play only add to the 19th century feel of the performance making it so much more genuine. At least that’s what I assume a mid-19th century play was like?
Evie Depledge plays the part of Jane Eyre from start to finish, Ross Muir plays the part of Edward Rochester, but he also adapted the play (with Nick), produced it and wrote the music. And the remaining three, Janna Fox, Erin Maria Walther and Edward Smith perform the remaining 12 characters. They all sang beautifully and most of them played the instruments too.
I have no idea if the play respects the original story, I’m no scholar of that particular book, but if the book portrayed the story of an orphaned and abused young girl and her life experiences up to and including her marriage to the love of her life, flowered with the occasional laugh-out-loud joke and entertaining little musical interludes – then it does a great job of that. And if it doesn’t, well it’s still pretty good entertainment all the same.
My son enjoyed, we enjoyed it, and ultimately, that’s all that matters really.
The play finishes in Windsor on the 19th September so there’s still time to immerse yourself in this great classic.
Aylesbury Waterside Theatre – until Sunday 20th September 2026
Reviewed by Rachel Clark
5*****
The show starts, the introduction is very Las Vegas Vibe – Las Vegas has come to Aylesbury, but saying that Aylesbury Waterside has top shows, no need to go to London – or tonight Las Vegas.
The show has new choreography and costumes, but I am none the wiser as I have never seen it before.
I can see why the show has been running since 1996, it is mesmerising the foot work is unbelievable, but to me the men were totally outstanding, so in time and spellbinding. I did joke to my daughter who joined me, who needs Magic Mike and then they must have heard me as the shirts came off!
They say the show contained 150,000 taps; there was no way I was going to count but I can definitely confirm there were a lot. You also have a soloist – Cleo Griffin who had a wonderful voice and fiddle players – Iona Ritchie and Helena Gullan, both totally amazing.
Evis Hayter played the spirt, and Erin McPolin was Morrigan and Saoirse by Katie Coates.
The Dark Lord – Sean Scally was totally amazing his eyes and make-up I just loved and then his army of men in black and orange, to me they were my favourite bits I looked forward to them coming on stage, again the footwork was magical.
For me yes Lord of the Dance was very good I’m not disputing that, his part was played by Cathal Douglan – the footwork was incredible, but to me no better than all the others, but he did seem to gloat – and want the appreciate from the audience, but all were amazing and to me they all got the standing ovation and very well deserved, for me no dancer, singer, Fiddle player was better than any another they were all phenomenal, another must go and see show
Leeds Grand Theatre – until Saturday 19th September 2026
Reviewed by Adam Craddock
4****
Last night I had the privilege of being invited down to the always wonderful Leeds Grand Theatre to review the latest leg of the UK & Ireland tour of “The Ballad of Johnny & June”, a new musical from the director of Jersey Boys.
The show follows the infamous “Man in Black” Mr Johnny Cash throughout his life from the loss of his brother as a young boy to his struggles with addictions as an international star. We also see the ways his life crosses over with his future wife June Carter from his earliest of musical experiences. The play is narrated by their son together John Carter Cash and he walks us through the story, with tales from both individuals involved and then also guiding us back to somewhere near the truth.
Christopher Ryan Grant wows in the starring role as the legendary man in black. Grant has a sublime aura around his portrayal, he just oozes cool and charisma and by god does he sound just like the legend himself! His southern drawl is just perfect and if you closed your eyes I swear you could believe Johnny Cash was there himself! Christina Bianco co stars as June Carter Cash. Bianco plays a brilliantly bubbly June, with some great comedic moments but also really holding her own in some of the more serious scenes. Ryan O’Donnell finishes off the named roles as their son together, John Carter Cash. O’Donnell was great in this guiding role, allowing the action to pass him by whilst always being switched on and engaged whilst watching. The way he portrayed young John in particular I really enjoyed, especially with the use of the ghostly spotlight to physically portray the child. The wider cast were all absolutely fabulous as well, with a strong ensemble definitely being a major win for this production.
In terms of productions aspects it was a mixed bag for me. I love the set, with a real industrial feel to it with its metallic and wooden lines and levels. The use of the chairs and benches throughout was also effective. The lighting and video effects were all strong and crisp, but most importantly appropriate to the show. The sound however was an issue for me. There were multiple times throughout this performance where mics would drop out mid line, not turn on until someone was half way through their first line or just completely miss instruments being played on stage, especially in the song “Jackson”. Whilst this didn’t ruin the show by any means it did keep dragging me away from the immersion in a disappointing manner.
Overall I would highly recommend seeing The Ballad of Johnny and June. This show is a brilliant one to experience especially with someone you love, and I for one can’t wait to see it again!
