Home

New Wimbledon Theatre, London – until Saturday 8 February 2025

Reviewed by Ava Clarkson

5*****

“Oh, my love, my darling… I’ve hungered for your touch…”

We all know the song and the iconic scene around the potter’s wheel… I have always avoided reviewing iconic films as I don’t want to be let down – but boy was I wrong! Ghost was the highest grossing film of 1990 and became one of cinema’s biggest all-time hits with a memorable cast including Demi Moore, Whoopi Goldberg and the late Patrick Swayze. This is hard to bring to stage, but Ghost the Musical delivered.

Tonight’s review venue is the New Wimbledon Theatre, an iconic landmark in Wimbledon Town Centre since 1910. The theatre has approximately 1,670 seats across three levels. Even after many refurbishments, the theatre still retains its beautiful Baroque and Adamesque internal features. The theatre is welcoming and comfortable with a feel of yesteryear.

Ghost The Musical is based on the film of the same name and is produced by Bill Kenwright. Bill Kenwright said “Ghost is a story full of hope and is one of those films which never leaves you. The book by Bruce Joel Rubin and score by Dave Stewart and Glenn Ballad come together wonderfully in one of my favourite new musicals in years.”

The story is set in New York and sees Banker Sam Wheat (Josh St. Clair) and his Artist Girlfriend Molly Jensen (Rebekah Lowings) living a dream life. Moving into a beautiful apartment with the help of their best friend Carl Bruner (James Mateo-Salt) – life is good. However, their perfect life is shattered when the couple are mugged on the way home. A gunshot rings out and although Sam appears to chase the mugger away, he returns to see Molly cradling him on the ground and realises he is dead. A beam of light appears, but as Sam walks towards it, he is snapped back from it and the light disappears.

In his new form as a ghost, Sam follows Molly but is unable to interact with the physical world. Sam finds out that the mugging was deliberate, and Molly is in grave danger. He must find a way to communicate with her. Sam asks for help from a violent ghost (Garry Lee) on the subway train and learns how to touch physical objects. He learns that he was mugged by Willie Lopez (Jules Brown) under the instructions of his best friend Carl and who hired Willie to rob Sam of his book of bank passwords.

Still lost and unable to communicate his findings to his beloved Molly and keep her safe, Sam meets Oda Mae Brown (Jacqui Dubois) a fraudster Psychic who claims she can talk to the dead. She cannot – until Sam comes into her life and she is just as shocked as he is that they can hear each other. With Oda Mae’s help Sam convinces Molly that the afterlife is real as Oda Mae says “ditto”, his response whenever Molly said she loved him. The three of them set about solving the crime and in doing so Sam involves Oda Mae in reclaiming the stolen money from Carl and making her reluctantly donate it all to charity.

With the crime solved, Sam is with Molly and Oda Mae in their Manhattan apartment when the beam of light returns, allowing them both to see and hear him. Sam shares a kiss with Molly, telling her he loves her. She responds, “ditto”, before Sam walks into the light.

With the live orchestra nestled beneath the stage, we have been truly treated to an outstanding show tonight. The musical score is modern in its deliverance with Electric Guitar solos and gentle interludes during emotional scenes. Musical Director Jordan Alexander brings a host of new songs to life as well as much loved songs such as Unchained Melody. Dave Stewart and Glenn Ballard have co-written and produced original songs across the musical. The cast have breathtaking voices and were all flawless tonight in their delivery. A special mention should go to Molly (Rebekah Lowings) for her solo performance of “With You” which was sensational and got the biggest applause of the night.

The stage set designed by Mark Bailey was comparable with a big budget west end production. The moving parts and backdrops were impressive, especially the New York subway carriage which adorned the set twice. Ghostly illusions were cleverly bought throughout the show by Richard Pinner including levitating newspapers and guns and cast members appearing on stage before our very eyes.

How do you follow Whoopie Goldberg… you bring Jacquie Dubois out of a wardrobe and let her take the role for herself. The portrayal of Oda Mae Brown is funny and captivating. You can feel the warmth towards her ghostly friend Sam as he leaves her and Molly.

The villains of the show were believable. Garry Lee was a truly petrifying subway ghost with an intensity that made us scared and feel sorry for him at the same time. Jules Brown who played the mugger Willie Lopez also made us dislike him immensely and revel when he is dragged down kicking and screaming to hell.

The ensemble dancers moved seamlessly around the stage and were very much part of the show. Scenes in New York bought “suited and booted” dancers, dancing with briefcases under the backdrop on The Twin Towers.

My reservation as to how the show would manage to convey the iconic potters wheel scene was quickly allayed. By slightly changing the much loved and copied scene and adding a comic but endearing element to it, the production managed to “own” the scene and do it justice in their own way.

Overall, I would say Ghost the Musical is a 5-star triumph. I would highly recommend watching this show as it tours the country. If you’re a fan of the film, you will not be disappointed by this adaptation.

Yvonne Arnaud – until 8^th February 2025

Reviewed by Heather Chalkley

3***

Nick Lane has adapted the well known Bram Stoker novel in a unique way, giving a different perspective to the traditional story. Based in Victorian England, during the height of the British Empire, Lane draws on unusual parallels with the plight of the lower classes and the powerlessness of woman. 

This slick and well rehearsed production delivers a faultless performance. The cast transition smoothly between acts, moving the set into position effortlessly. Giving Maya-Nika Bewley the main narrative role as Mina Harker, who pulls the story together and then the traditionally male role of Doctor Hennessey, provides a refreshing strength of female character not usually present in Dracula. Bewley offers some relief from the intense story with moments of humour as Doctor Hennessey. In the same way, the contrasting roles of Lucy Westenra and Renfield, were confidently played by Marie Osman. In the novel, Dracula becomes younger as he feeds on his victims and this was portrayed well by the change of actors in each act. Harry Rundle played convincingly the challenging role of the youngest Dracula and the complete opposite character of Arthur Holmwood. 

You can be forgiven for losing track of the timeline and setting, where the production takes a purist approach to the original book’s narrative of letters, newspaper cuttings and other similar devices. It is a valiant choice of the director and adaptor Lane, that does not 100% come off. Whilst you are focusing on the spoken letters read by one character, written by another for another, you can forget where you are in the story line right now!

You have to admire Blackeye Theatre for taking on this epic story in these frugal times, when arts funding is hard to come by. This is a reflection of the company’s professionalism and creativity as they celebrate their 20^th year of producing thought provoking performances. 

Park Theatre, London – until 22 February 2025

Reviewed by Claire Roderick

3***

Alexander Raptotasios’s bold modern adaptation of Sophocles’ tragedy is an intriguing mix of drama and debate.

While the ancient tale has King Creon forbidding the burial of Antigone’s brother with honour – an order defied by Antigone, Raptotasios has home secretary Creighton (Phil Cheadle) refusing to allow Antiya’s (Hiba Medina) sister Esmeh (Hanna Khogali) back into the UK. Esmeh was groomed at 14 and became an ISIS bride in Syria. Now, with one child dead and her youngest son sick, she is fearing for her life and desperately waiting for news of appeals in the English court. Creighton’s son Eammon (Ali Hadji-Heshmati) is in a relationship with Antiya and is horrified by his father’s actions.

Sorcha Brooks introduces the proceedings with initial questions for the audience to answer on their keypads – generating pie charts instantly projected that are used to steer the action of the play. Brooks’s character Ty is a modern version of the prophet Tiresias, here an analyst and political strategist who takes the pragmatic view, but finally reveals that the facade of democratic voting shaping events is all a sham and the information has been used to gauge public reaction and plot Creighton’s next move on his path to number 10.

As Antiya realises that there will be no swift result through the appeal court, she takes drastic action and goes on hunger strike. The building political and racial tensions that erupt as her protest gains publicity are explored through TV debates and more private arguments, with each side not trusting the other and trying to gain the upper hand. Sophocles’ themes of justice, morality, family loyalty and civil disobedience are all still relevant. The play takes place on Marco Turcich’s stark white set that serves as courtroom, TV studio and House of Commons. Projections of social media and TV rolling news are used to recreate the rabid frenzy of coverage of emotive political topics. The easy anonymity of social media and notoriety of TV pundits allows a cacophony of conflicting reports and views to bombard the audience, resulting in a sensory overload that is wonderfully effective as it blurs the borders between emotional and intellectual judgement when the next question is asked.

The excellent cast work incredibly well as an ensemble. None of the characters are fully fleshed out but are mere sketches of personalities that could all possibly be manipulating the optics. Your sympathies can change with one line during certain scenes, as each character doggedly follows their moral/political code. Ty’s question to the audience about one character’s sincerity was met with a tremulous “I don’t know” – which sums up the clever ambiguity of the characters and the writing. This is an innovative and exciting approach to a classic, and well worth a look.

Riverside Studios, London – until 22nd February 2025

Reviewed by Celia Armand Smith

4****

What would you do if your whole life was built on the wobbly foundations of coming in second in the auditions for arguably the largest film franchise in history? Narrowly missing out on the role of Harry Potter at the age of ten, Martin is unable to escape what might have been. While attending an ultrasound appointment with his partner Sophie, he faints at the sight of his unborn child and suddenly he is forced to navigate the tortuous path that leads him to this moment. This is not simply the story of someone who didn’t get a role, but the complicated painting of a portrait of a young man who is falling apart at the seams, reliving various childhood traumas.

Second Best, written by Barney Norris, and based on the novel by David Foenkinos, is a funny and poignant exploration of what might have been. Norris unpacks the broken pieces that make up Martin with delicacy, care and humour, even if the storytelling is a bit simple and obvious at times. Under the direction of Michael Longhurst, Asa Butterfield (known most recently for Sex Education on Netflix) is wonderful in his stage debut. With excellent comedic timing and tiny adjustments in how he holds himself, Butterfield swiftly moves between characters and accents, creating a whole universe on the stage and filling the white space entirely.

Fly Davis’ set is a large expanse of white punctuated with props like a surrealist painting. A baked potato taped to the wall, an unmade hospital bed juts out precariously high above the stage, and packets of crisps tumble out of a newsagent wire rack. During a darker moment ash silently rains down from vents in the ceiling, creating large gloomy piles which are swept aside. Paule Constable’s lighting coupled with Richard Hammarton’s soundscape create a rounded world in which Martin’s past clouds his present.

There is a lot of relatability in Second Best, whether it’s a feeling of not being quite good enough, a life altering loss, or thinking you probably could have been in a Harry Potter film. Where the writing sometimes falters, the acting and clever direction more than make up for it in this poignant tale of missed opportunities, trauma, and ultimately hope.

Full cast announced joining West End lead actors Collette Guitart and Tobias Turley
in the UK premiere of the Off-Broadway hit musical

Marylebone Theatre
Rudolf Steiner House, 35 Park Road, London NW1 6XT

Thursday 27 February – Sunday 13 April

Meet the full cast joining West End stars Colette Guitart and Tobias Turley for the UK premiere of the Off-Broadway hit, White Rose: The Musical:

Collette Guitart (Sophie) was the alternate lead in Why Am I So Single? at the Garrick Theatre and previously she played Maria in Just for One Day (Old Vic). Other credits include SIX, &Juliet and Bat Out of Hell (West End), and Rock Follies (Chichester Festival Theatre).

Tobias Turley (Hans) won the lead role of Sky in the West End production of Mamma Mia! on ITV’s Mamma Mia! I Have a Dream. Named one of HELLO Magazine’s Rising Stars 2024, his other credits include Kurt Kelly in Heathers the Musical (Other Palace), and Diesel in West Side Story (Ljubljana Festival).

Owen Arkrow (Willi) is a recent graduate of Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. He made his professional debut in [title of show] (Phoenix Arts Club).

Danny Colligan (Max) played Billy Kostecki in Dirty Dancing, Elder Davis in Book of Mormon and was Joly/1st Cover Marius in Les Miserables (all West End). He was most recently Ron Williams in Cable Street (Southwark Playhouse).

Charley Robbie (Lila) is a recent graduate of Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts, making her professional London debut.

Millie Robins (covers all female roles) recently played the lead Victoria in the world premiere of the musical Toys and Sally Brown in You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown (both Upstairs at the Gatehouse).

Nathan Shaw (covers all male roles) recently appeared in The Rocky Horror Show (UK & International Tour) as swing u/s Riff Raff, Brad, Rocky & Dr Scott.

Thomas Sutcliffe (Karl) recently appeared in the West End as John Carpenter/Martyn Ware/1st Cover Phil Spector in Tina: The Tina Turner Musical and Neil Kellerman in Dirty Dancing.

Danny Whelan (Christoph) recently played Craig in the UK tour of An Officer and a Gentleman. He was Ledoux in the UK tour of Bat Out Of Hell The Musical and a GI in Miss Saigon (Sheffield Crucible).

Mark Willshire (Kurt Huber) was seen in the West End in Waitress, The Bodyguard and Ghost.

Ollie Wray (Frederick) has just played Swing/Cover Marius, Enjolras, Grantaire/Fight Captain in the West End production of Les Miserables.

Having received its Off Broadway premiere earlier this year, White Rose: The Musical has book & lyrics by Brian Belding, music by Natalie Brice, with direction by Will Nunziata. It will get its UK premiere as the first musical staged at  London’s Marylebone Theatre, 27 February – 13 April.

White Rose: The Musical is based upon the inspiring true story of a small group of university students in Munich, Germany, who secretly met to write, print and distribute leaflets exposing Hitler’s lies and Nazi deception. Their courage in the face of tyrany would ultimately lead to them paying the supreme sacrifice.

Sophie Scholl arrives in Munich to join her brother, Hans, and study at university. Inspired by a rebellious professor, Sophie and Hans form a small group of students to resist Nazi rule and doctrine. In passionate and articulate leaflets – printed in secret – the White Rose resistance group provides instructions for passive resistance and, ultimately, sabotage. Sophie is passionate, impulsive and bold… dangerous traits in Hitler’s Germany….

Creative team:
Director Will Nunziata
Musical Director Caitlin Morgan
Assistant Musical Director Livs Needham
Orchestrator Paul Schofield
Creator, Book Writer and Lyricist Brian Belding
Composer Natalie Brice
Lighting Designer Alex Musgrave
Sound Designer Dan Samson
Set Designer Justin Williams
Costume Designer/Supervisor TBC
Casting Director Harry Blumenau CDG
Produced by Produced by Sam Houlihan, Sam Biondolillo, and JLWN Productions
Executive Producer/General Management Thomas Hopkins Productions

Brian Belding – Creator, Book Writer and Lyricist                                                                      ..
San Francisco and NYC-based playwright and lyricist Brian Belding combined his love of musical theatre and resistance movements to create White Rose: The Musical. After successful industry presentations in May and October 2022, the musical is currently being developed in New York with a Broadway creative and production team. A proud member of the Dramatists Guild, Belding taught high school history in the San Francisco Bay Area for 20 years before becoming a full­-time writer for the theatre.

Natalie Brice – Composer
Natalie is a musician with the tenacity for bringing original work to life. She recently music directed the new musical Happily Even After with performances in California and a run at Don’t Tell Mama NYC. In 2020, Natalie Music directed Hell On Earth, a new musical performed at 54 Below featuring Laurie Metcalf and Anthony Rosenthal. She was the music director and pianist on Asher Child, an original musical in California. She wrote, composed, and co-directed the musical film Go With Me in 2019. For White Rose: The Musical, she is committed to musically encapsulating the camaraderie, youth, adrenaline, celebration, and heart of the resistance group.

Will Nunziata – Director
Will is a NYC-based award-winning director, writer, and creator of theatre, concerts, television, and film. Film: The Old Guitarist (Writer, Director). Awards: London Movie Awards (Best Short Film, Best Director), New York Movie Awards (Best First Time Director of a Short), Paris Film Awards (Best First Time Director of a Short), among others. Film: Lillith (Winner of Best Original Screenplay, 2023 Hollywood Blood Horror Festival and Winner of Best Horror Screenplay, 2024 New York Screenplay Competition). Theatre: Figaro: An Original Musical (Director, Co-Book Writer, Co-Creator – The London Palladium 2025), White Rose: The Musical (Director – Off-Broadway 2024, Marylebone UK 2025), Faygele: A New Play (Director – King’s Head Theatre UK 2025). In development: Van Gogh: An Original Musical (Co-Creator, Director), An Entirely Ordinary Town: A New Musical (Director), By The End Of Tonight: A New Play (Director), Little Black Book: A New Musical (Co-Creator), The Waves: A New Opera (Librettist), Miss Peggy Lee (Director, Writer, Co-Creator) starring Tony Award winner Cady Huffman; Award: Broadway World Best Director. Concerts: Will has written and directed shows for Tony Award winner Lillias White, Platinum recording artist Jackie Evancho, Soul Train Award winner Nicole Henry, and Grammy Award nominee Clint Holmes, to name a few. For 20 years Will performed professionally, singing across the country and around the world with his twin brother, singer-songwriter Anthony Nunziata, culminating in co-headlining Carnegie Hall with the NY Pops Symphony Orchestra. Will is a proud graduate of Boston College and a member of the Stage Directors & Choreographers Union. For more, please visit www.WillNunziata.com and @willnunzofficial on Instagram.

LISTINGS INFO

White Rose The Musical
Book & Lyrics by Brian Belding
Music by Natalie Brice

Director Will Nunziata

Thursday 27 February – Sunday 13 April

Marylebone Theatre
Rudolf Steiner House
35 Park Road
London NW1 6XT

Box office: 02077237984

[email protected]

Performances:
Wednesday – Saturday at 7:30pm
Thursday & Saturday at 2:30pm
Sunday at 1pm and 5pm

Tickets from £25
£2.25 Booking Fee on all tickets

Previews: all seats 50% discount

Running time:
2 hour 15 mins

Age recommendation 10+

Content warning: This performance contains the use of prop weaponry and explores mature themes relating to armed conflict, including violence and its impacts.

Social media

Website: https://whiterosethemusical.com/

Twitter: @whiteroseplay
Facebook: whiterosethemusical
Instagram: whiterosethemusical

2 time Tony Award® winner Christine Ebersole
2 time Tony Award® nominee Bob Gunton
West End leading man Tobias Turley and Miyuki Miyagi
are the final stars to be announced for the world premiere
Studio Cast Recording of
Jo – The Little Women Musical

Two-time Tony Award® winner Christine Ebersole (Grey Gardens, 42nd Street) will play Aunt March, two-time Tony Award® nominee Bob Gunton (Sweeney Todd, Evita, the Warden in The Shawshank Redemption movie), Grandfather, with rising West End star Tobias Turley (winner of ITV’s Mamma Mia! I Have A Dream, the TV search for Sky in the West End production of Mamma Mia!), Fred Vaughn, and Miyuki Miyagi (Natasha in Natasha, Pierre, & the Great Comet of 1812) as Sallie Gardiner in a new musical adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s iconic coming-of-age novel Little Women.

Jo – The Little Women Musical, with music by Dan Redfeld, book and lyrics by Christina Harding and John Gabriel Koladziej, will get its world premiere with a Studio Album recorded at London’s iconic Abbey Road Studios featuring a mix of Broadway, West End and international stars and a 29-piece orchestra, produced by five-time Grammy nominee and three-time Emmy winner Nigel Wright and Dan Redfeld.

The recording session will be followed by the release of several tracks and videos, the album and the full show will be presented in semi-staged concert on the West End, directed by JoAnn M. Hunter (20 Broadway shows to her credit as a Choreographer including Bad Cinderella and School of Rock, Associate Choreographer and Performer. Most recently Director of SuperYou a new Rock Musical at Curve, Leicester and Choreographer of the upcoming Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat UK tour starring Donny Osmond).

Jo – The Little Women Musical studio album will be released under Grammy® winning record label Center Stage Records in March.

The date, theatre and ticket onsale for the West End concert will be announced soon.

Christine Ebersole (Aunt March) has been recognised with a string of honours that includes two Tony Awards, she has appeared in 20 Broadway and Off-Broadway productions, as well as gracing TV series and specials, films, concerts, recordings and opera. It was for her “dual role of a lifetime” as Edith Beale and Little Edie Beale in Grey Gardens that Ebersole won her second Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical, as well as virtually every available Off-Broadway honour. Other memorable New York roles include her Tony-winning turn as Dorothy Brock in the hit revival of 42nd Street, her Tony-nominated portrayal of Elizabeth Arden opposite Patti LuPone in War Paint, her Tony-and Outer Critics Circle-nominated appearance in Dinner at Eight, her Obie-winning and Drama Desk-nominated appearance in Alan Bennett’s Talking Heads, her performance as Guinevere alongside Richard Harris and Richard Burton in Camelot, and her leading roles in Oklahoma!,On the Twentieth Century, Steel Magnolias, The Best Man, and the revival of Noël Coward’s Blithe Spirit. In 2018 she made her operatic debut under James Conlon’s leadership as the Old Lady in Francesca Zambello’s production of Candide at LA Opera. Recently starring as Lucille Dolittle, a role based on Lucille Ball, in Paul Thomas Anderson’s Oscar-
nominated Licorice Pizza, Ebersole has appeared in numerous feature films. Previous film credits include The Wolf of Wall Street, Amadeus, Black Sheep, Dead Again, Folks!, Ghost Dad, My Girl 2, Richie Rich, Tootsie, True Crime, and The Big Wedding, which features her account of her original song “ Gently Down the Stream.”

Bob Gunton (Grandfather) in a distinguished 30-year career he has played a potpourri of memorable roles in notable productions in theatre, television and film. On Broadway, Gunton received Tony Award nominations for his Sweeney Todd and for his portrayal of Juan Peron in Evita. He was also featured in Big River, Roza, Passion, King of Hearts, Working, and Happy End. He received an Obie Award for playing 21 characters in How I Got That Story, as well as the Clarence Derwent Award for The Most Promising New New York Actor of 1980. In 2004, Bob was nominated for a Barrymore Award for playing the eponymous role in The Great Ostrovsky – the great Cy Coleman’s last musical, in a pre-Broadway production. Gunton’s feature film work runs the gamut from farce to drama. Working with some of Hollywood’s most celebrated directors, Gunton has appeared in Oliver Stone’s JFK, and Born On The Fourth of July, Ed Zwick’s Glory, John Woo’s Broken Arrow and, most memorably, as the Warden in Frank Darrabont’s The Shawshank Redemption.

Tobias Turley (Fred Vaughn) was the winner of ITV’s Mamma Mia I Have A Dream, the televised search for Sky in the West End production of Mamma Mia!. He will be seen next in the UK premiere of White Rose the Musical (Marylebone Theatre) Other credits include: Heathers The Musical (The Other Palace), West Side Story (Ljubljana Festival).

Miyuki Miyagi (Sallie Gardiner) is an actor, singer, dancer, and violinist. Credits include: The Mystery of Edwin Drood (Goodspeed), Natasha Rostova in Natasha, Pierre, & the Great Comet of 1812 (Capital City), Peggy Maruyama in Allegiance with George Takei (East West Players), When You Wish (Tuacahn), Anne in A Little Night Music (Princeton Summer Theater).

Other cast previously announced for the album recording include:

Laura Benanti (Marmee March), a Tony Award® winner and five-time Tony Award® nominee, took Broadway by storm at the age of 18 as Maria in The Sound of Music and has subsequently starred in 10 Broadway shows (musicals, straight plays, comedies, and dramas) including Into the Woods, Nine (opposite Antonio Banderas), Gypsy (for which she won a Tony Award), She Loves Me, My Fair Lady, and Steve Martin’s Meteor Shower.

Julian Ovenden’s (Father) theatre work includes leading roles at the Donmar Warehouse, Almeida, Theatre Royal Haymarket, Young Vic, the RSC, Roundabout in NYC, and in the West End and on Broadway. His recent stage work includes starring opposite Gillian Anderson in Ivo Van Hove’s All About Eve and playing Emile de Becque in the smash-hit revival of South Pacific at Chichester Festival and Sadler’s Wells, for which he was nominated for the Olivier Award for Leading Actor in a Musical.

Christine Allado (Jo March) is a Grammy Award nominated artist. She was Peggy Schuyler and Maria Reynolds in the original London cast of Hamilton (Victoria Palace), Cinderella in Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends (Gielgud); Meat in We Will Rock You (London Coliseum); Tzipporah in The Prince of Egypt (Dominion).

Creative team:

Dan Redfeld – Composer, Conductor, Orchestrator, Studio Album Co-Music Producer
Christina Harding – Co-Lyricist & Book
John Gabriel Koladziej – Co-Lyricist & Book
JoAnn M. Hunter – Director
Nigel Wright – Studio Album Co-Music Producer
Brian Purcell – Lead Producer
CDM Productions – General Managers

Dan Redfeld (Composer) said: “It’s always been our hope for Jo – The Little Women Musical to be heard around the world the way we intended – with an international cast of stellar artists and 29-piece orchestra. For that to come to fruition in a full Studio Album is a dream come true.”

Christina Harding and John Gabriel Koladziej (Co-Lyricists and Book Writers) continued: “Assembling such a talented group of performers to bring our material to life is truly thrilling. We are excited to share our new interpretation of Louisa May Alcott’s timeless classic with a multi-generational audience.”

Lead Producer Brian Purcell (4 Times Entertainment, Inc.) added: “We are honoured to be recording at Abbey Road Studios where some of the world’s most influential artists and albums – from The Beatles to Star Wars to Lady Gaga – have been immortalised.

Social media:
Website: www.jothemusical.com 
Instagram: @jothemusical  
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jothemusical

Eleanor Grant (Beth March) was recently a guest soloist in the world premiere screening of Avatar LIVE (Royal Albert Hall). Her other credits include the film soundtracks Cinderella, Cruella, Puss in Boots and Disney’s live-action remakes of Aladdin and The Little Mermaid.

Rob Houchen (Theodore “Laurie” Laurence) is currently starring as Jack in Titanique at the Criterion Theatre. His other West End credits include Sondheim’s Old Friends, South Pacific, The Light in the Piazza and the Les Misérable All Star Concert.

Chris Mann (Professor Bhaer) is a critically acclaimed singer, actor and viral comedian. He starred as The Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera’s 25th Anniversary Tour for over 700 performances. His self-shot musical parody videos during covid have been viewed 600 million times. .

Kelly Mathieson (Meg March) made her West End debut as Christine Daaé in The Phantom of the Opera and played the role for almost three years. Her other credits include Cinderella in Into the Woods (Lyric Theatre, Belfast), Nellie in South Pacific (Toulon Opera house) and Tonia in Dr Zhivago (London Palladium).

Sophie Pollono (Amy March) was Delia Abbott for five seasons on the long-running daytime soap opera Young and the Restless. She starred as the titular character in the Disney Channel limited series  Fastlayne. Her stage credits include the American premiere of Oppenheimer and the world premiere of My Girlfriend is an Alien.

Liam Tamne (John Brooke) was recently seen in The Baker’s Wife at the Menier Chocolate Factory, Assassins at Chichester Festival Theatre, and in the West End as Ted Hinton in Bonnie & Clyde, Ramses in The Prince of Egypt, Raoul in The Phantom Of The Opera, Enjolras in Les Misérables, Fiyero in Wicked.

DRAG RACE STARS BRING SMASH HIT

SENSATION ‘GALS ALOUD’ BACK TO LONDON!  

TuckShop Presents

GALS ALOUD
LIVE

4TH APRIL | HERE AT OUTERNET
TICKETS ON SALE NOW

 ‘IT’S CAMP. IT’S SILLY. IT TREADS THE LINE BETWEEN HOMAGE AND PARODY
IN A WAY THAT ONLY DRAG CAN.’ – VICE

GALS ALOUD ARE BACK IN LONDON WITH THEIR SMASH-HIT, HILAIROUS SHOW!  

The greatest girl band of the millennium, Girls Aloud, are back back back again… as you’ve never seen them before. This fierce, funny and fabulous DRAG extravaganza returns to the West End for one night only at HERE at Outernet (Sailor Moon, Priscilla the Party).  

‘A HELL OF A LOT OF FUN’
-British Theatre

Starring RuPaul’s Drag Race UK stars CHERYL and KITTY SCOTT-CLAUS, and drag superstars HERR, OPHELIA LOVE, LYDIA L’SCABIES, with a special appearance from Drag Race UK/Canada’s Drag Race vs the World star VANITY MILAN as Javine, this is the only tribute show to the reality TV supergroup you’ll ever need. Please enquire for press/interview opportunities.

Taking the stage at HERE at Outernet, this brand new version of the five star show will feel even more like a real concert as we immerse you in the world of Nadine, Cheryl, Sarah, Nicola, and Kimberley like never before. This full, hilarious comedy show bridges the gap between pop concert and pure comedy as the Gals take you on a nostalgic ride through the history, highs and lows, and major hits of Girls Aloud. Plus, the return of the one and only Javine…!

Drag Race finalist Kitty Scott-Claus (Masterchef, Death Drop, Queen of the Night) said “I am SO excited for Gals Aloud to be heading back to London! It’s been over a year and all I can say is… IT’S ABOUT TIME! We always have the best time doing this show and we have the best audiences in the whole of the West End!”

Cheryl added “It is always such an honour to perform in the West End, and I’m so excited to be back performing in my favourite show alongside some of my favourite people in the world. This show is so joyous, fun and a celebration of the group who made me the artist I am today”.

TuckShop founder, Christopher Clegg (Cool Rider Live, [title of show], Death Drop), directs this camp romp of a show, had this to add: “We are currently celebrating TuckShop’s 7th Birthday and Gals Aloud was the first show we created, so to be bringing it back again is so exciting. Audiences LOVE this hysterical show…expect a camp night of nonsense packed with the hits of one of the most iconic girl bands ever!”

Featuring all the hits of Girls Aloud, classic solo singles, awkward tv appearances, missing passports, cloakroom attendant altercations and much more. This is a show you do not want to miss!

London Palladium – until 4^th February 2025

Reviewed by Heather Chalkley

5*****

Ashley Jana and Will Nunziata have woven a familiar tale of youthful yearning, innocence and betrayal. You can give your full attention to the lyrics and phenomenal, well seasoned voices of the cast as they draw you in to the story. There are reflections of Phantom with a smattering of Les Mis as the leading lady gives away her innocence and gains maturity. 

Cayleigh Capaldi (Sienna) brings the house down with her soprano notes at the height of her characters delusion, portraying a naivety that allows Figaro (Jon Robyns) to have complete control. Capaldi gives an outstanding performance, easily switching from naïve to ‘wiser for the experience’.  Jon Robyns commands the stage with a strong physical performance and a baritone that gives you evil undertones and eventually desperation in the storytelling.

Lucia (Aimie Atkinson) reminds you of Nancy in Oliver. Once enthralled like Sienna, now a seasoned and weary muse of Figaro. Atkinson has depth in her tone that tells a million stories. Ava Brennan (Gia) is the most natural performer on the stage, with an warmth in her voice to compliment Capaldi. Alongside the children Cian Eagle-Service (Gianni) and Sophia Goodman (Amelia) you have an insight into the makeshift family that is often the makeup of travelling shows. Only this one has a more sinister under current. The children bring a different dimension to the show, including their awesome vocals.  

The stripped back set gives the creative team a challenge to produce different atmospheres and settings, which is well accomplished. This is a show that has the potential for a much larger stage. 

A coming-of-age story that offers pure escapism as the cast immerses you into the delicious songbook. 

Windsor Theatre Royal – until 8th Feb 2025

Reviewed by Liberty Noke

5*****

Boys from the Blackstuff is a play based on the 1982, 5 part drama that aired on BBC 2 by the same name. It follows 5 tarmac layers lives in Liverpool who have been out of work for a year.

It is clear that this is a gritty drama from the moment you walk in, the stage is set up with scaffolding reminiscent of a building site. We meet the 5 main characters as they are being interrogated by the unemployment department so that they can continue to receive benefits.

The characters find cash-in-hand work and attempt to hide it from the council but they know it is risky. They are all tormented by their morals but are desperate enough to take the jobs despite the risk. The council do find them and Snowy Malone, played by Reiss Barber, falls to his death in an attempt to outrun them.

Jay Johnson’s performance of Yosser is incredible. He comes across as unlikeable to begin with- loud, rude and violent. He seems to be the comic relief with his catchphrases “gi’ us a job” and “I could do that” but you quickly come to learn that he is simply a desperate man on the edge. He is perfectly funny and tragic. We see him decline through the second act desperate for a job he harassed people in the streets telling them “I could do that” as he mimics their jobs.

When Boys From The Blackstuff first aired, unemployment was at a record high but it is clear to see why this play has been so successful today. The running theme of men’s mental health is just as relevant and unemployment is still a prevent issue as well as the class divide. This play resonated with me and with much of the audience reminding us, perhaps that we can take a stable income for granted. While this play isn’t the happily ever after that so many of us want from the theatre but it is a gripping, gritty depiction of unemployment that shows us how our morals can be changed by our circumstances.

CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR

HADESTOWN
AS THE CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED PRODUCTION ENTERS ITS SECOND YEAR IN THE WEST END

DESMONDA CATHABEL AS EURYDICE
VICTORIA HAMILTON-BARRITT AS PERSEPHONE
CHRIS JARMAN AS HADES
CEDRIC NEAL AS HERMES
DYLAN WOOD AS ORPHEUS
MELANIE BRIGHT, ALLIE DANIEL AND LAURAN RAE AS THE FATES

uk.hadestown.com

3 February 2025, London: New casting is announced today for the critically acclaimed West End production of Hadestown for performances from 11 March 2025.

The year two West End cast includes Desmonda Cathabel, who most recently played Jasmine in the UK & Ireland tour of Disney’s Aladdin, as Eurydice; Olivier Award-nominee Victoria Hamilton-Barritt, whose many credits include The Stepmother in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella, as Persephone; Chris Jarman,who originated the role of Hagrid in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child in the West End, joins the company as Hades; Cedric Neal who was nominated for an Olivier Award for his portrayal of Nicely-Nicely Johnson in Guys & Dolls at the Bridge Theatre, as Hermes; and Dylan Wood,who made his West End debut in Hadestown last year, returns as Orpheus.

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

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

Hadestownopened to huge critical acclaim at the Lyric Theatre, London in February last year, five years after a sold-out engagement at the National Theatre in 2018 and is now booking in the West End until 28 September 2025.

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

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

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

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