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2024 ‘BEST NEW MUSICAL’ OLIVIER AWARD®-WINNING OPERATION MINCEMEAT TO OPEN ON BROADWAY IN 2025

The best of theater in 2023

“The Brits have made the year’s funniest musical…Against the odds, the “Operation Mincemeat” gang has found its way to the big time.”

Peter Marks, The Washington Post

#1 2023 Theatre Show

“Despite all that Hollywood firepower, my top pick was a homegrown musical about the UK’s role in World War II”

Sarah Rappaport, Bloomberg

“Is the quite splendid “Operation Mincemeat” ridiculously clever or cleverly ridiculous? Both…this is the musical you didn’t know you needed”

David Benedict, Variety

“My far-and-away favorite production—and a complete surprise to me—was the musical “Operation Mincemeat… a comedy that has been cheerfully dismantling jingoism builds a stirring vision of real fellowship in its place.”

Helen Shaw, The New Yorker

“the feel-good West End musical of the summer… The reviews for the show have been ecstatic… the overwhelming impression is of hopefulness, expansiveness, possibility and joy.”

Alexis Soloski, The New York Times

74 ★★★★★ reviews and counting

The Olivier Award®-winning ‘Best New Musical’ Operation Mincemeat, created by a quartet of young British creatives, will open on Broadway at the Golden Theatre – its first musical since the Tony Award® Triple Crown winner Avenue Q – on 20^th March 2025. From 15^th February, when previews begin on Broadway, Operation Mincemeat will run simultaneously in New York and London, with the West End’s Fortune Theatre recently receiving an incredible 10^th extension from ATG through 8^th March.

Operation Mincemeat began as a tiny (and tiny-budgeted) production at the London Fringe New Diorama Theatre in 2019. The show quickly gained a devoted following, spurring sold-out runs at venues including Southwark Playhouse and Riverside Studios. It finally premiered in the West End on 9^th May 2023 at the Fortune Theatre, where it won the Olivier and WhatsOnstage Awards® for ‘Best New Musical’, alongside garnering 74 five-star reviews and counting, and has become the ‘Best reviewed show in West End history.’

The decision to write the musical was the last roll of the dice after years of performing sketch shows at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and echoes the journey of Beyond the Fringe from the world-famous quartet Alan Bennett, Peter Cook, Jonathan Miller, and Dudley Moore, which premiered at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 1960, before moving to the Fortune Theatre and later to the Golden in 1962.

Casting, ticket prices and show times to be announced.

SpitLip – David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson and Zoë Roberts – the musical’s writers and composers, said: “If we had to name one single unifying influence for Operation Mincemeat, it would be the American Musical Comedy. The Producers, Guys and Dolls, Wicked, Avenue Q, The Book Of Mormon – we never dreamed we would even get to go see shows like these on Broadway, let alone open our show alongside them. Thank you to our fans, and particularly those in the US for getting Operation Mincemeat here. If it gets hounded out of Broadway after one night, it will still be beyond our wildest dreams. Our producers, we’d imagine, would be less pleased.”

The Broadway announcement comes on the heels of the musical’s West End American audience growing from 2% in 2023, to now reaching 14%.

Broadway tickets will go on General sale on 20^th November. Sign up here for priority access to a fan pre-sale on 18^th November. Tickets for the West End’s Fortune Theatre run until 8^th March 2025 are available only from the Official Box Office here.

The year is 1943 and we’re losing the war. Luckily, we’re about to gamble all our futures on a stolen corpse. 

Singin’ in the Rain meets Strangers on a Train, Noel Coward meets Noel Fielding, Operation Mincemeat is the fast-paced, hilarious and unbelievable true story of the twisted secret mission that won us World War II. The question is, how did a well-dressed corpse wrong-foot Hitler? 

The production is directed by 2023 Olivier Award® nominated  Robert Hastie (Standing at the Sky’s Edge, National Theatre – 2023 Best New Musical Olivier Award® winner), following providing directorial support for the Riverside Studios run, while Olivier Award® nominated Jenny Arnold (Jerry Springer: The Opera, National Theatre) continues as Choreographer. Also from Standing at the Sky’s Edge at theNational Theatre on the creative team are: 2023 Olivier Award® nominated  Ben Stones (Sylvia, The Old Vic) as Set and Costume Designer, Tony Award, six-time Olivier Award® and Bafta Award® winning Mark Henderson (Girl From the North Country, Broadway & Noël Coward Theatre) as Lighting Designer and Olivier Award® winning Mike Walker (Jerry Springer: The Opera, National Theatre) as Sound Designer.  Grammy Award® winning and Tony®, Emmy® & 2024 ‘Outstanding Musical Contribution’ Olivier Award® nominated Steve Sidwell (Beautiful: The Musical, Broadway & Aldwych Theatre) is Orchestrator and Vocal Arranger, while 2024 ‘Outstanding Musical Contribution’ Olivier Award® nominated Joe Bunker is Musical Director. Georgie Staight is Associate Director and Paul Isaiah Isles is Associate Choreographer. Casting is by Pearson Casting. The extraordinary debut musical is written and composed by SpitLip – David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson and Zoë Roberts.

Operation Mincemeat won the 2024 ‘Best New Musical’ and ‘Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical’ Olivier Awards®, following receiving six nominations. These awards trail winning the 2024 ‘Best New Musical’ WhatsOnStage Award and the ‘Best West End Show’, ‘Rising Star’ and ‘Best Understudy’ West End Wilma Awards. Previously on the show’s journey, Operation Mincemeat has picked up the Off-West End award for ‘Best Musical Production’ and ‘Best Company Ensemble’ and The Stage Debut Award for ‘Best Composer/Lyricist’.

Operation Mincemeat is produced in the West End and Broadway by Avalon (in association with SpitLip). The show was commissioned by New Diorama Theatre, co-commissioned by The Lowry, and also supported by the Rhinebeck Writers Retreat.

Titans of African theatre, film and TV cast as lead characters in
DEATH AND THE KING’S HORSEMAN

A Sheffield Theatres and Utopia Theatre production

Writer Wole Soyinka
Director Mojisola Kareem
Designer Kevin Jenkins
Choreographer Joseph Toonga
Lighting Designer Cassie Mitchell
Composer and Music Designer Juwon Ogungbe
Sound Designer Lee Affen
Casting Director Ellie Collyer-Bristow CDG
Production Manager Lisa Hood
Producer (Utopia) Tom Dixon

Crucible Theatre, Sheffield
Monday 3  – Saturday 8 February 2025

Two titans of African theatre, film and TV have been cast as the lead characters in Death and the King’s Horseman, a co-production from Utopia Theatre and Sheffield Theatres.   Wale Ojo is to take on the role of Elesin Oba, the King’s Horseman, while Kehinde Bankole will play Iyaloja, the mother of the market, in the production to be staged at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield from Monday 3  – Saturday 8 February 2025.

Death and The King’s Horseman was written by Akinwande Oluwole Soyinka, known as Wole Soyinka, and is based on a true story whereby Elesin, the king’s horseman, is tasked with carrying out a sacred ritual upon the death of the king. Directed by Mojisola Kareem, Artistic Director of renowned African theatre company Utopia Theatre, the production will be a thought-provoking, resonant theatrical experience showcasing music and dance, deeply rooted in the culture and spirituality of the Yoruba people.

Ojo and Bankole will lead a cast of 26 when Death and the King’s Horseman is staged across eight performances at Sheffield Theatres’ Crucible in February, bringing the powerful story to the steel city for the first time. The cast list will include a combination of professional and non-professional cast members, with members of the ensemble joining as part of a community call out from the South Yorkshire area, as Utopia Theatre continues to make strides in opening up casting opportunities to acting talent in the local area.

Mojisola Kareem, Artistic Director and CEO at Utopia Theatre, said: “To be able to cast these two titans of African performance to the lead roles for our adaptation of Death and the King’s Horseman is an honour. Both are very highly regarded and their performances promise to be nothing short of outstanding.”

Wale Ojo started his acting career aged eight with Africa’s first TV station WNTV Ibadan, and established his early career in the UK, playing Othello in William Shakespeare’s Othello for the Tower Shakespeare Company in London’s East End. His work spans from In the Talking Dark and Les Blancs at Manchester’s Royal Exchange to performing at the Young Vic, Riverside Studios, Bristol Old Vic and the National Theatre with George Bernard Shaw’s Widowers Houses. Other notable theatre includes Bonded, The Gods Are Not To Blame, Tickets and Ties and The Estate amongst others for one of the UK’s foremost African theatre companies, Tiata Fahodzi, and Mother Courage and her Children for the English Touring Theatre.

Ojo has a long history of association with the Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka. This includes reciting his poem A Telephone Conversation for the BBC Radio several decades ago to performing the play The Beatification of Area Boy twice at the Birmingham Rep and at the Freedom Park in Lagos, Nigeria. He also appeared in King Baabu in South Africa. Ojo was most recently seen playing Wole Soyinka himself in the writer’s prison memoirs titled The Man Died in a movie adaptation of his famous book now on cinema release.

Kehinde Bankole is a renowned Nigerian actress and producer who last year lent her voice to Disney’s Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire. She has a strong connection with Utopia Theatre, having recently played the parts of Aunty Jolie and Storyteller in the company’s UK-wide tour of Anna Hibiscus’ Song; as well as the character Iyalode in the The Duchess of Malfi (Iyalode of Eti), which was staged at Leeds Playhouse, Sheffield Theatres, CAST Doncaster and the Ake International Arts and Book Festival in Nigeria in 2016.  

Bankole’s enormous talent has led to the portrayal of many roles at venues including Shakespeare’s Globe. She continues to make significant contributions to the growing world of cinema in Nigeria, starring in highly acclaimed blockbuster movies such as Adire, Blood Sisters and Sista on streaming platforms Netflix and Amazon Prime.

Both Bankole and Ojo are recipients of the AMVCA (Africa Magic Viewer’s Choice awards) as Best Lead Actor and Best Lead Actress respectively in 2024.

Death and the King’s Horseman was first staged in 1976 and continues to be produced around the world, including at the National Theatre in London and most recently for the Stratford Festival in Canada in 2023. Soyinka’s work intertwines traditional African theatre with contemporary themes, making Death and The King’s Horseman a compelling narrative of cultural duty versus personal dilemma. This production promises a captivating portrayal of Soyinka’s vision.

As an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation (NPO), Utopia Theatre is focused on delivering a programme of events and productions to share compelling stories of African diaspora and inspire the next generation of creatives. Sheffield Theatres and Utopia Theatre have worked together for more than a decade, and each year productions have grown in scale and size. This will be the biggest production run for Utopia Theatre.

Death and the King’s Horseman runs at the Crucible from Monday 3 –  Saturday 8 February 2025. Tickets are on sale now and can be booked through the Box Office in person, over the phone on 0114 249 6000 or at sheffieldtheatres.co.uk.

‘WICKED’ CELEBRATES 18 YEARS

 IN THE WEST END

Now the 10^th longest-running production in West End history

www.WickedTheMusical.co.uk

On Friday 27 September 2024, WICKED, the West End and Broadway musical phenomenon that tells the incredible untold story of the Witches of Oz, celebrated 18 years since its London premiere on 27 September 2006 at the Apollo Victoria Theatre. “One of the most successful musicals of all time” (BBC News), The Tony®, Grammy®, Olivier, and WhatsOnStage award-winning musical by Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman, has played close to 7,000 performances and has already been seen by more than 12 million people, in London alone.

Wicked currently stars Alexia Khadime (Elphaba), Lucy St. Louis (Glinda), Ryan Reid (Fiyero), Sophie-Louise Dann (Madame Morrible), Michael Fenton Stevens (The Wizard), Caitlin Anderson (Nessarose), Graham Kent (Doctor Dillamond), Joe Thompson-Oubari (Boq), Laura Harrison (Standby for Elphaba), Christine Tucker* (Standby for Glinda), Zac Adlam, Conor Ashman, Meg Astin, Jessica Aubrey, Jeremy Batt, Felipe Bejarano, Asmara Cammock, Joshua Clemetson, Conor Crown, Effie Rae Dyson, Aston Newman Hannington, Aimee Hodnett, Kate Leiper, Jemima Loddy, Joshua Lovell,  Rory Maguire, PaddyJoe Martin, Darnell Mathew-James, Millie Mayhew, Ayden Morgan, Rishard-Kyro Nelson, Aiesha Naomi Pease, Jeanie Ryan, Natalie Spriggs, Charlotte Anne Steen, James Titchener, Micaela Todd, Taela Yeomans-Brown, and Jacob Young.  *Maternity cover for Lisa-Anne Wood.

Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman are collaborating on the forthcoming two-part Universal Pictures film version of Wicked, starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, to be released in November 2024 and November 2025.

A spectacular touring production of Wicked continues engagements until January 2025. Currently playing at the Sunderland Empire until Sunday 20 October 2024, the critically acclaimed production will then continue to Cardiff’s Wales Millennium Centre before it concludes its year-long tour with a Christmas season at the Manchester Palace Theatre.

Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman’s celebrated stage musical is based on the acclaimed novel by Gregory Maguire and imagines a beguiling backstory and future possibilities to the lives of L. Frank Baum’s beloved characters from ‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz’. Wicked reveals the decisions and events that shape the destinies of two unlikely university friends on their journey to becoming ‘Glinda The Good’ and the ‘Wicked Witch of the West’.

Through its ‘For Good’ charitable endeavours and acclaimed Wicked Active Learning cultural and social education programme, the London production of Wicked proudly supports and champions the work of the Anti-Bullying Alliance, the National Literacy Trust, and Theatre Works!, the charity providing theatre tickets to disadvantaged children across the UK. www.WickedActiveLearning.co.uk

Wickedhas music and lyrics by multi-Oscar® and Grammy® Award winner Stephen Schwartz (‘Godspell’, ‘Pippin’, ‘The Prince of Egypt’, Disney’s ‘Pocahontas’, ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’and ‘Enchanted’). It is based on the multimillion-copy best-selling novel ‘Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West’ by Gregory Maguire and written by Emmy® and Tony Award® nominee Winnie Holzman (creator of the landmark American television series ‘My So-Called Life’). Musical staging is by Tony Award®winner Wayne Cilento with direction by two-time Tony Award® winner Joe Mantello.

Performances continue Tuesday – Saturday at 7.30pm, and Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday at 2.30pm with public booking to Sunday 1 June 2025.

The following eleven added shows are also on sale: Thursday 31 October 2:30pm, Friday 20 December 2:30pm, Monday 23 December 2:30pm & 7:30pm, Friday 27 December 2:30pm, Monday 30 December 2:30pm & 7:30pm, Tuesday 31 December 2:30pm 2024, and Thursday 2 January 2:30pm, Thursday 20 February 2:30pm, Thursday 17 April 2:30pm 2025. Doors open 90 minutes prior to the start of all performances.

The stage musical Wicked is produced by Marc Platt, Universal Stage Productions, The Araca Group, Jon B. Platt, and David Stone. Executive Producer (UK) Michael McCabe.

The Apollo Victoria Theatre, Wilton Road, London, SW1V 1LG

Official UK website: www.WickedTheMusical.co.uk

Education programme: www.WickedActiveLearning.co.uk

‘X’ (Twitter): @WickedUK  |  Facebook: /WickedUK  |  Instagram: @WickedUK

Aylesbury Waterside Theatre – 29th September 2024 but touring other theatres

Reviewed by Rachel Clark

4****

This great show brought the wonderful Abba music and lyrics alive again. The International tribute to Abba were a five piece group, the group being the four and the drummer. The band were only introduced as the names of the original band Agnetha, Bjorn, Benny and Anni-Frid. The show was brought to life at Aylesbury Waterside Theatre. The first half of the production saw the audience clapping and tapping their feet to the music but the second half almost all of the audience were up dancing and joining in with the singing and thoroughly enjoying the show. What gave the show more atmosphere there was a large screen at the back with 1970’s patterns and some of the song titles appeared as the songs were sung. We also saw plenty of costume changes adding to the feel that you were transported back to the 1970’s.

We danced along to Dancing Queen, Super Trouper, Knowing Me Knowing You, Money Money, Money, Mamma Mia were just a few of the hits that were sung in the 2 hours of the show.

Some of the audience came with their Abba outfits on and Benny who was telling a joke or two, said there was a prize for the best dressed in the audience, the dressed audience stood up in their outfits awaiting the prize, a drink at the bar – a glass of water! This brought a laughter or two and disappointment but a smile on the winner’s face.

Slight disappointment there was no merchandise or a programme – so we weren’t aware of who the tribute band truly were, though they had superbly got in the act that they were actually Abba and spoken with a Swedish accent, I can see why this successful show has been playing so long. I will definitely being going again when they are next in Aylesbury and getting out my flares or platform boots.

First look images have been released for the World Tour of Boublil and Schönberg’s LES MISÉRABLES THE ARENA SPECTACULAR, with upcoming UK performances in Glasgow, Sheffield, Aberdeen, Manchester and Newcastle.

The cast includes Alfie Boe and Killian Donnelly, who share the role of Jean Valjean, Michael Ball and Bradley Jaden,who share the role of Javert, Bonnie Langford as Madame Thénardier, Gavin Lee as Thénardier, Jac Yarrow as Marius, Beatrice Penny-Touré as Cosette, Emily Bautista as Éponine, Channah Hewitt as Fantine, James D. Gish as Enjolras and Jeremy Secomb as Bishop of Digne.

The company is completed by Jonathon Bentley, Rebecca Bolton, Olivia Brereton, Amelia Broadway, Michael Burgen, Mary-Jean Caldwell, Beth Curnock, Shaun Dalton, Jonathan David Dudley, Harry Dunnett, Louis Emmanuel, Charlie Geoghegan, Harry Grant Smith, Connor Jones, Daniel Koek, Caleb Lagayan, Abel Law, Adam Robert Lewis, Georgie Lovatt, Andrew Maxwell, Jill Nalder, Zabrina Norry, Lisa Peace, Kathy Peacock, Ciaran Rodger, Jo Stephenson, Geddy Stringer, Helen Walsh, Raymond Walsh and Owain Williams.

Daniel Adesina, Theo Hills, Felix Holt, Leo Humphreys and Dexter Pulling will alternate the role of Gavroche with Dalia Al Nagar, Amanthi Crowe, Sophia Duffie, Maisie Mac Mahon and India Mills alternating the role of Little Cosette.

LES MISÉRABLES THE ARENA SPECTACULAR is expanded from the hugely successful Les Misérables The Staged Concert which played for over 200 record-breaking performances in the West End. It has an extraordinary new design specifically created for arenas, with a company of over 110 actors, musicians and crew.

Cameron Mackintosh’s production of LES MISÉRABLES THE ARENA SPECTACULAR is written by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg and is based on the novel by Victor Hugo. It has music by Claude-Michel Schönberg, lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer and original French text by Alain Boublil and Jean-Marc Natel, additional material by James Fenton and adaptation by Trevor Nunn and John Caird. Orchestrations are by Stephen Metcalfe, Christopher Jahnke and Stephen Brooker, with original orchestrations by John Cameron. The production is directed by James Powell and Jean-Pierre Van Der Spuy, designed by Matt Kinley, with costumes by Andreane Neofitou, Christine Rowland and Paul Wills, lighting by Paule Constable and Warren Letton, sound by Mick Potter, projections realised by Finn Ross and music supervision by Stephen Brooker and Alfonso Casado Trigo. The Les Misérables orchestra is conducted by Brian Eads.

THE STAGE DEBUT AWARDS 2024
IN ASSOCIATION WITH ATG ENTERTAINMENT
WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT

The 12 winners of The Stage Debut Awards 2024, in partnership with ATG Entertainment, were revealed at a glittering London ceremony at 8 Northumberland Avenue on September 29. Iconic drag artist, performer and singer Divina De Campo hosted the annual event in front of an audience of some of British theatre’s most influential figures in celebration of the brightest emerging talents who made their mark both on and off stage.

This year 49 nominees across eight categories were in the spotlight, representing performers, composers, designers, writers, lyricists and directors whose work premiered on stages across the UK in the previous year.

Scooping the Best West End Debut Performer award for his enormously compelling and vocally accomplished performance as Gabe in Next To Normal at Wyndham’s Theatre was Olivier Award nominee Jack Wolfe. As the only category decided by public vote – previous winners included Rose Ayling-Ellis (2023) and Jodie Comer (2022) – Wolfe emerged as the people’s West End favourite from a strong shortlist that included Will Close for Dear England; Billy Crudup in Harry Clarke; Toheeb Jimoh in Player Kings; Francesca Amewudah Rivers in Romeo and Juliet; Ed Larkin in The Little Big Things; Grace Hodgett Young in Sunset Boulevard and Louis McCartney in Stranger Things: The First Shadow.

Such was the level of talent that Best Performer in a Play was awarded to both Ellie-May Sheridan for a scene-stealing turn in London Tide at the National Theatre and Louis McCartney, who was recognised for his menacingly mercurial performance in Stranger Things: The First Shadow at the Phoenix Theatre. Also, the Best Performer in a Musical award was shared between Jeevan Braich for his vocal prowess and impressive roller skating skills in Starlight Express at the Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre and Grace Hodgett Young who won the award for her impressive performance in Jamie Lloyd’s hit revival Sunset Boulevard at the Savoy Theatre.

The current wealth of new-writing talent in the industry was resoundingly acknowledged this year with the Best Writer award going to two upcoming industry stars. Sam Grabiner for Boys on the Verge of Tears at Soho Theatre shared the accolade with Azuka Oforka for The Women of Llanrumney at Sherman Theatre, Cardiff.

More awards on the night recognising talent behind the scenes included Best Creative West End Debut, which was given to Bush Theatre’s associate artistic director Daniel Bailey for his dynamic and sensitively directed production of Tyrell Williams’ Red Pitch. The production enjoyed a hugely successful West End transfer to @sohoplace.

This year’s directing accolade went to Sophie Drake who was honoured with the Best
Director award for The Bleeding Tree at Southwark Playhouse Borough. The judges said
Drake “infused finesse into all aspects of this dark, grisly anti-fairytale”. For the first time, all
nominees in this category were women, and the award was presented by the acclaimed
BAFTA nominated director and Bush Theatre’s artistic director Lynette Linton.

The unforgettable and now iconic video design for Jamie Lloyd’s Sunset Boulevard at the
Savoy Theatre was recognised in the Best Designer award, which Nathan Amzi and Joe
Ransom took home. And Jack Godfrey won the Best Composer, Lyricist, or Book Writer
award for his all-round talents bringing 42 Balloons at The Lowry, Salford, a charming new
musical success story, to life.

The Stage editor Alistair Smith said: “The judges were in complete awe of the talent on display from all our winners. In many cases, it felt almost inconceivable these could be their professional debuts such was the level of skill on show.

“At a time when there has been much talk about how difficult it is for new playwrights to break through, the judges were particularly pleased to be able to recognise two superb winners in the Best Writer category for the first time, such was the quality of the shortlist.”

The winners were announced on 29th September 2024 at The Stage Debut Awards, held at 8 Northumberland Avenue, London, in association with headline sponsor ATG Entertainment. The event featured several live performances, including a special number by Divina De Campo. Additional performances came from Georgina Castle, who currently stars as Regina George in Mean Girls at the Savoy Theatre, Timmika Ramsay, dazzling audiences as Miss Adelaide in Guys & Dolls at the Bridge Theatre, and the celebrated actor, comedian and writer Nick Mohammed, who performed as his acclaimed alter-ego, Mr. Swallow, in a unique and exclusive routine.

#DebutAwards

THE WINNERS IN FULL

Best Performer in a Play (Sponsored by Theatrical Rights Worldwide):
● Ellie-May Sheridan for London Tide at National Theatre, London
● Louis McCartney for Stranger Things: The First Shadow at Phoenix Theatre, London

Best Performer in a Musical (Sponsored by Michael Harrison Entertainment):
● Jeevan Braich for Starlight Express at Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre, London
● Grace Hodgett Young for Sunset Boulevard at Savoy Theatre, London

Best Director (Sponsored by Arts Council England):
● Sophie Drake for The Bleeding Tree at the Southwark Playhouse Borough, London

Best Designer (Sponsored by Preevue):
● Nathan Amzi and Joe Ransom (video) for Sunset Boulevard at Savoy Theatre, London

Best Writer (Sponsored by Sonia Friedman Productions):
● Sam Grabiner for Boys on the Verge of Tears at Soho Theatre, London
● Azuka Oforka for The Women of Llanrumney at Sherman Theatre, Cardiff

Best Composer, Lyricist or Book Writer (Sponsored by Crossroads Live):
● Jack Godfrey for 42 Balloons at The Lowry, Manchester

Best West End Debut Performer (Sponsored by Noël Coward Foundation):
● Jack Wolfe for Next to Normal at Wyndham’s Theatre, London

Best Creative West End Debut (Sponsored by Trafalgar Entertainment):
● Daniel Bailey (director) for Red Pitch at @sohoplace, London

With thanks to our sponsors ATG Entertainment, Theatrical Rights Worldwide, Michael Harrison Entertainment, Arts Council England, Preevue, Sonia Friedman Productions, Crossroads Live, Noël Coward Foundation, and Trafalgar Entertainment.

The Stage Debut Awards first took place in 2017 and recipients of these awards have gone on to star in West End shows, television series and films. Last year’s winners included Rob Madge for My Son’s a Queer, (But What Can You Do?) at the Garrick Theatre and the Ambassadors Theatre, Isobel Thom for their leading role in I, Joan at Shakespeare’s Globe, Michael R Jackson for composing A Strange Loop at the Barbican Theatre and Tingying Dong for her sound design on The Crucible, Gielgud and National Theatre. A further roll call of notable award winners from previous years include Jodie Comer (Prima Facie), Shan Ako (Les Misérables), SpitLip (Operation Mincemeat), Tyrell Williams (Red Pitch), Sam Tutty (Dear Evan Hansen), Miriam-Teak Lee (& Juliet), Bush Theatre artistic director Lynette Linton (Sweat) and composers Femi Temowo (Death of a Salesman) and Dan Gillespie Sells (Everybody’s Talking About Jamie).

Menier Chocolate Factory – until 16 November 2024

Reviewed by Claire Roderick

5*****

Nancy Carrroll’s brilliant adaptation of Arthur Wing Pinero’s Victorian farce is a sublimely silly and salient show.

The Right Hon Sir Julian Twombley (Nicholas Rowe) is under pressure as his spendthrift family’s extravagant lifestyle has led to questions about his acceptance of gifts. As he contemplates jumping before he is pushed, and a future growing his own vegetables in a country cottage, his wife Kitty (Nancy Carroll) gets deeper and deeper in debt to the social climbing Lacklustre siblings (the wonderful Phoebe Fildes and Laurence Ubong Williams) in acts titled Debt, Difficulties, Disaster, and Dancing.

The Twombley’s son, Brooke (Joe Edgar) is as bad with money as his mother, while daughter Imogen’s (Rosalind Ford) season, and her aunt Dora’s (Sara Crowe) marital plans for her, are disrupted by the return of old family friend Valentine (George Blagden). The modern parallels are obvious but never overdone and highlight how little British society has really changed. Great fun is had from the hypocrisy of the gentry on their uppers and making dubious choices looking down their noses at the lower classes, even when those people are funding their lifestyle.

As romantic and financial complications mount, the entrances and exits (and ludicrous attempts at hiding on Janet Bird’s gorgeous set) are perfectly timed. The script is jam-packed with dry wit, daftness and double entendres, all delivered with wonderful energy by the stellar cast. While Nicholas Rowe’s calm head of the family, weighed down by his career troubles is the placid body of the swan, Nancy Carroll’s Kitty is his perfect foil – the legs frantically flapping underwater. Her demeanour changes from manically bemoaning the tragedy of her circumstances to business like matriarch in the blink of an eye, and her mounting panic as things get increasingly out of her control is a masterclass in comedy. Sara Crowe’s magnificent meddling sister-in-law thinks she’s hit the jackpot marrying off Imogen to Sir Colin Macphail (Matthew Woodyatt), and the presence of the dour Scots onstage is always a delight as Dillie Keane steals the show as Lady Macphail – always ready to declare her distaste for the south, and launching into passionate descriptions of their ancestral home that become increasingly florid and Shakespearean as Colin struggles to string even a few words together.

Director Paul Foster directs with a deft touch, and the decision to have each act punctuated by the cast playing instruments provides even more light-hearted energy – and many opportunities for fiddling jokes. Fast, funny and full of brilliant performances, The Cabinet Minister is an absolute triumph.

Curve Theatre Leicester – until 5th October 2024

Reviewed by Amarjeet Singh

5*****

The Mountaintop is a thought-provoking and enthralling piece of theatre. Katori Hall’s drama revolves around an imaginary meeting between Dr Martin Luther King Jr and a maid delivering room service, on the eve of his assassination in a Memphis motel in 1968.

King is riding a wave of both highs and lows having just delivered his ‘I’ve been to The Mountaintop’ speech. Elated, triumphant, yet paranoid and anxious about what’s to come, he arrives at the motel and awaits a friend’s arrival with cigarettes. Alone with his thoughts, he drives himself into a frenzy, and starts tearing the room apart looking for recording devices, all the while we hear the relentless rain pour, the thunder peel and the lightening crash. Then in walks Camae.

Sunshine yellow uniform, amidst the storms she immediately changes the atmosphere Bringing King’s coffee, she is not your traditional motel maid. Lighting cigarettes, pulling out mini bottles of whiskey, our suspicions, along with King’s, are peaked. The night reaches its climax when Camae reveals her true intentions for walking into King’s motel room that night.

First staged in 2010, earning itself an Olivier award, this current Made at Curve rendition of The Mountaintop started as a script reading. But in the hands of dedicated director Nathan Powell, it was clear this was destined to be so much more. There is a wealth of magic in this 90-minute piece. It’s a mystery, but we know who dies and why. It tells of senseless and shocking atrocities, but we are given meaning and hope. We are reduced to tears and called to action but there is warmth and plenty of laughter. We are being told a story about a specific moment in time yet this moment transcends its time. The dynamicism in the tale is matched in the direction as we have physical dreamlike sequences blurring the lines between fantasy and reality.

Camae is a wonderfully written character, a full-bodied tour de force. She hoodwinks us all into believing she is one thing and then seamlessly shifts into another leading us all on a wonderful journey. She equals and in someways surpasses King’s ideological exchanges, much to his surprise, as she adds unheard voices, those of strong, savvy, working class black women. Played magnificently by Justina Kehinde, Camae not only spellbinds King but she captivates us too. Nailing the Memphis drawl, she annunciates every word clearly, so we never miss any of Hall’s amazing lines. She fully embodies the role, like honey dripping off a knife, she is simply thrilling to watch.

Ray Strasser-King’s portrayal of Dr Martin Luther King Jr is outstanding. He is not imitating nor mimicking Dr King, but rather channelling every aspect of how King would present himself if he would ever find himself in this situation, grappling with a myriad of emotions, juggling the martyr and the man and coming face to face with his own mortality. His rendition is raw and rousing, a portrayal that stays with you for a long time.

The dramatic intrigue between the two characters is delicious. Hall’s writing is engaging and relevant. Whilst we may think of this as a period piece and even that of it being American and not British, the themes are as relatable this side of the pond as they are over there, we may be slightly more reserved talking about them. Divides are still ongoing. Lulu Tam’s beguiling set design is an exact replication of the motel room King stayed in the night before his assassination but it keeps its own secrets. When paired with Jack Baxter’s sublime soundscapes they elevate Hall’s  tall tales.

Hall weaves biographical and historical details into her writing. She alludes to his suspected sexual indiscretions and other matters which highlight King as a flawed human being. He is not a “perfect man”, and the play highlights that we are all flawed and therefor we all have the power to pick and pass on the baton.

The play comes to an end with powerful speeches and images which will leave you speechless and unable to look away. They make us appreciate the progress we’ve made thus far and see just how much more there is left to do. The Mountaintop is an extraordinarily well-crafted and incredibly moving piece of theatre. Relevant, relatable and riveting, this needs to be seen.

Leeds Grand Theatre – On Tour until 2025

Reviewed by Dawn Smallwood

4****

Opera North’s new Season is underway with its first performance of The Magic Flute at the Leeds Grand Theatre. Mozart’s The Magic Flute is based on Emanuel Schikaneder’s libretto. It first premiered in 1791 in Vienna. The Magic Flute is about one exploring one’s way in the world amid challenges and tests.

The story is about Tamino (Egor Zhuravskii), a lost prince, who escapes danger by being saved by three mysterious ladies (Charlie Drummond, Katie Sharpe and Hazel Croft). The ladies inform Tamino about Pamina (Claire Lees) who he falls in love with. The Queen (Anna Dennis) herself tells Tamino that Pamina been captured by Sarastro (Msimelelo Mbali) and is held captive in his authoritative kingdom and asks Tamino to rescue and return her. Tamino is then compelled to rescue Pamina with support of the magic flute and magic bells, gifted to him, and assistance from Papageno (Pasquale Orchard), the bird catcher.

The Magic Flute is diversely unique, It is known as a singspiel, sung play in English, with spoken dialogue as well as the singing. It’s a popular opera known for its varying melodies and arias which showcases Mozart’s ingenuity, conducted by Christoph Koncz. This contemporary production specifically emphasises on the visuals and projections on stage that drives the narrative and characters to the changing fantastical realms in which the plot is set to. The staging certainly captivates the ambience, and the moods of themes depicted in this opera. This all done effectively by Colin Richmond, Chris Davey and Douglas O’Connell.

Under the direction of James Brining and the choreography of Tim Claydon, the cast excellently delivers and thoroughly portrays the characters. In particular, Zhuravskii as Tomino, Jones as the entertaining and charismatic Papageno and Mbali as the authoritative Sarastro The stood out and memorable aria must be Anna Dennis’ Queen of the Night aria in Act II, a pivotal moment, which leads to fateful developments in the story.

This production of The Magic Flute is contemporary with touches of symbolism and humanity set on overcoming evil and how humanity will prevail. Very parallel to the world today and how this resonates in many situations. The production is well delivered and will be part of this season’s repertoire.

Tanya Moiseiwitsch Playhouse, Sheffield – until Saturday 12 October 2024

Reviewed by Sharon Farley

4****

Step into the innate intimacy of the Sheffield Theatres Playhouse and you are greeted by the centrally positioned performance area. The colourful but minimal stage set of Dizzy belies the carefully crafted lighting that punctuates the piece. Its piercing force enhances the drama of the inner world the principal character, Qamar (Sera Mustafa), sinks into whenever the external world overwhelms her. The deceptively simple set allows Mustafa’s deft footwork to paint the scenery with her use of space, be it scaling the heights or laying out the aisles of a hardware store.

Qamar is a 15 year old maths genius struggling to come to terms with the death of her older brother, Yasin. Haunted by questions on the nature of Yasin’s final moments, Qamar’s grief is interrupted by the sudden appearance of Stax (Brendan Barclay), an infamous graffiti artist. Though they begin by crossing swords, it soon becomes apparent that Stax is able to lead Qamar to the secret world her brother had previously inhabited. Unbeknown to his family, graffiti had been a central part of Yasin’s lifestyle, and through Stax, Qamar ventures through its rites of passage and learns its underground language. The pair traverse a rocky course; they are not automatic allies and have to negotiate their differences to find a way to help each other reach their goals. Along the way, they touch on diverse themes of modern existence whilst also delivering a sprinkling of humour to illuminate the path.

Stax reveals he too has had to face the loss of someone close and guides Qamar through the healing process he drew upon, using his art to connect with those he lost and learning to equate the fragility and impermanence of life with the temporary nature of graffiti itself. Through this journey, Qamar not only learns to pay homage to her lost brother, but reconnects with him by delving into this unfamiliar world. Holding him closer in death than she had in life enables Qamar to find peace, and even some joy through creativity.

As well as telling a compelling story, Dizzy also uncovers the vernacular and deeper nature of graffiti culture that many might never have considered before, evidencing the thorough research done by the writer, Olivier nominated Mohamed-Zain Dada. This performance will easily cross the divide between audiences of all ages.