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Heated Rivalry: The Unauthorized Musical Parody Announces London Transfer and UK Cast 

• The musical parody of the hit TV series will play at Underbelly Soho in London this Autumn
• West End star Zheng Xi Yong and newcomer Joseph Dann will play the couple at the heart of the show Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov
• The show debuted Off Broadway in May to great critical acclaim and will play at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe next month at Underbelly George Square
• There will be three Saturday performances and two Sunday performances a week post opening

7^th October – 1^st November, Underbelly Soho

‘’The sharpest comedy’’ The Times | “MarcAurele has created something truly special here with mile-a-minute laughs. Funny as puck lyrics, nicely orchestrated catchy songs…all add up to a feel-good treat of a night out at the theatre ” The Queer Review

Instagram @heatedrivalryparodyuk | www.heatedrivalryparody.com  

Fresh off its acclaimed off-Broadway debut and ahead of an eagerly awaited run at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Heated Rivalry: The Unauthorized Musical Parody – from the writer behind Fringe hit Pop Off, Michelangelo! Dylan MarcAurele – skates into London, landing at Underbelly Soho from 7^th October to 1^st November. Leading the cast as ice-hockey’s favourite fictional power couple are Your Lie in April’s Zheng Xi Yong, most recently seen in American Psycho at the Almeida, and newcomer Joseph Dann who will make his onstage professional debut. 

Inspired by the hit TV series about the secret relationship between Major League hockey stars Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, a cast of five including ‘wine mom’ narrator Susan and a nightly scene-stealing cameo from characters like “Rose Landry” and “Ilya’s Ass” recreate the show’s main moments. Sporting a bop-infused score with songs such as ‘Big Ass, Cold Heart’ set to ballet style hockey choreography, audiences will find themselves hot, bothered and transported back to the ice rink in a camp celebration of the passionate community the show has created.  

Zheng Xi Yong — last seen in American Psycho at the Almeida Theatre and Your Lie in April at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane and the Harold Pinter Theatre — plays Shane Hollander, while newcomer Joseph Dann, fresh from his appearance in the National Film Award-winning Hunting Party, plays Ilya Rozanov in his onstage professional debut. Rounding out the cast as Ilya’s Dad and Shane’s Mom are Andrew Berlin (13 Going On 30, Manchester Opera House world premiere; Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 at the Donmar Warehouse; Oklahoma! West End) and Sylvie Stenson (Pop Off, Michelangelo! at the Edinburgh Fringe; Hamilton UK and Ireland tour) and May Tether (Heathers the Musical, Soho Place and Amazon Prime, Gypsy Hope Mill/Manchester/Grand Opera House) will play the show’s narrator Susan. 

Dylan MarcAurele and Alan Kliffer said “We couldn’t be more excited to bring Heated Rivalry: The Unauthorized Musical Parody to London this Autumn, and there’s nowhere better than Soho for it to be playing in the city. The reaction to our New York run has been incredible, and it’s been amazing to see how many people have connected with its heart and humour. We can’t wait to bring that same energy to the Edinburgh Fringe next month, and then to share it with London audiences at Underbelly Boulevard in October.’’

Ed Bartlam and Charlie Wood, Directors of Underbelly, said: “We’re delighted to be welcoming Heated Rivalry: The Unauthorized Musical Parody to Underbelly Soho for its London premiere. The show is a brilliant example of the bold, inventive and entertaining work we love to programme – combining sharp writing, original music and an infectious sense of fun. Following its success off-Broadway we’re excited to give London audiences the opportunity to experience this unique production and to continue showcasing the very best musical theatre at Underbelly Soho.”

Due to popular demand, there will be three performances on a Saturday post opening at 3pm, 7pm and 9.30pm and two on Sunday’s at 2pm and 6pm. 

Based on the Game Changers novel series by Rachel Reid, Heated Rivalry became a cultural phenomenon when it premiered on HBO Max and Crave in November last year. Averaging 10.6 million viewers per episode in the US alone, the finale delivered more than four times the audience of the premiere week making it the most-watched scripted title acquired from another platform in HBO Max history. The show has since aired across the world including in the UK. Season 2 is due to air in April 2027. 

Written by creator of 2024’s smash Fringe hit Pop Off, Michaelangelo! Dylan MarcAurele, Heated Rivalry: The Unauthorized Musical Parody debuted Off Broadway at The Culture Club in March to great acclaim with its run already extended before opening night due to audience demand. It’s directed by Alan Kliffer, whose venue Asylum NYC debuted recent Olivier Award winner and Tony nominee Titanique.

Heated Rivalry is produced by Klif Entertainment with General Management by Wildpark Entertainment.   

Dylan Marcaurele is a NYC-based writer and composer. Highlights: Jonathan Larson Grant Winner; Richard Rodgers Award; Dramatists Guild Foundation Fellow; NAMT Festival; 2x Frank Young Grant Winner; Manhattan School of Music Musical Theatre Lab Series; Drama Club Camp, 2x JMF Writers Grove at Goodspeed; Johnny Mercer Songwriters Project in Nashville. Book/Music/Lyrics: Pop Off, Michelangelo! (Underbelly Boulevard, London; The Other Palace; 2x Edinburgh Fringe Festival), MEG4N (2024 tour starring Rosé of RuPaul’s Drag Race), The Real Housewives of NYC: The Musical (featured on Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live), The Passion of the Labradoodle (in development). Music: Lewis Loves Clark (Rhinebeck Writers Retreat; Barn on Fire Residency; Village Theater Festival of New Musicals [WA]), Tea with G (ART NY; Theatre 555), The Land of Forgotten Toys (Greenhouse Theater, Chicago). Music/Lyrics: Miley Chase: The Science Ace (licensed by Concord Theatricals), “Say Bravo!” (sung by Andy Cohen and the cast of Vanderpump Rules at the Paris Theatre in Las Vegas).  

Alan Kliffer is originally from Canada, and has been producing, writing, directing and teaching comedy for over twenty years. Kliffer was the Artistic Director at Asylum NYC Chelsea for five years, putting the theatre on the map as an NYC comedy hub. He subsequently served as the inaugural Artistic Director of The Second City New York. In addition, Kliffer has produced industry audition showcases for Saturday Night Live, The Tonight Show, and Just For Laughs, as well as award winning plays and musicals. Current productions include: (Palatable) Gay Robot, Don’t Stop I’m About To Jazz, Flop! The Fully Improvised Musical Fiasco and more. 

Wildpark Entertainment is an award-winning production company creating work across the West End, on tour and internationally.Current productions include Unfortunate: The Untold Story of Ursula the Sea Witch (Edinburgh 2019 & 2022, Southwark Playhouse 2023, UK tour 2024, Lowry 2025, Sweden 2025, The Other Palace 2026), Murder She Didn’t Write (Duchess Theatre West End, UK tours, Australia and Cunard Cruise Line), Margaret Thatcher Queen of Hollywood (Edinburgh Fringe 2026) and Lovestuck: A New Comedy Musical (Stratford East).General Management and Executive Producer credits include I Was A Teenage She Devil (The Other Palace), Swag Age (Gillian Lynne West End), Footballers’ Wives the Musical (Assembly Edinburgh) and Scissorhandz: A Musical Reinvented (Southwark Playhouse Elephant). Wildpark’s founder and producer Laura Elmes is proud to sit on the board for the League of Independent Producers and the Local Theatre Touring Alliance.

Underbelly is a UK-based live entertainment company founded in 2000 by Ed Bartlam and Charlie Wood. The company produces and programmes acclaimed theatrical productions, live events, festivals and cultural experiences across the UK and internationally, often in site-specific and unconventional locations. Alongside ATG Productions, Underbelly is co-producer of the Olivier Award-winning Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club. Other recent productions include Macbeth alongside Wessex Grove starring Ralph Fiennes and Indira Varma, Nutcracker at the Tuff Nutt Jazz Club with The McOnie Company and Southbank Centre, Cabaret Royale in Charleston, and Tweedy’s Massive Circus. In 2023, the company opened its first permanent venue, Underbelly Boulevard Soho, in London’s West End. The venue presents a year-round programme of cabaret, comedy, circus, music and theatre, alongside free events and artist development initiatives. Artists appearing at the venue have included Steven Frayne, Flo & Joan, James Acaster, John Bishop, Dara Ó Briain, Michelle Wolf, Mason Alexander Park, Tim Key and Laura Benanti. As one of the leading producers at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe for over 25 years, Underbelly has presented landmark productions including Fleabag, SIX, My Son’s A Queer (But What Can You Do?), Kathy and Stella Solve a Murder!, Humans by Circa and work from Mischief Comedy. Underbelly also produces major festivals and events including Underbelly Festival, Christmas in Leicester Square and Skate Leicester Square, and has previously delivered large-scale public events including Pride in London, West End Live, Edinburgh’s Hogmanay, Edinburgh’s Christmas, Dubai Expo and The Walk and the first ever swarm drone show as part of Hogmanay’s online celebrations in 2020. Since 2025, Underbelly is also the programming producer for Nevill Holt Festival in Leicestershire.

Tangram Theatre Company Presents:

MEMORIAM 

Beverley Klein, nominated for the 2025 Olivier Award for Best Supporting Performance in a Musical for her role as Yente in Fiddler on the Roof and previously seen as Fraulein Schneider in the award-winning West End production of Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club, will play Rivka. 

Southwark Playhouse Borough | 19 Oct – 21 Nov 2026   southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/productions/memoriam/

Tangram Theatre Company announces the London premiere of Memoriam, a new play by British-Israeli playwright Noga Flaishon (whose work spans theatre, audio drama and interactive storytelling, including writing for the Doctor Who universe at Big Finish), directed by Daniel Goldman (Artistic Director of Tangram Theatre Company, whose previous productions include OFFIE Award-winning Thebes Land at the Arcola Theatre and The Rage of Narcissus at Pleasance Islington). The production runs at Southwark Playhouse Borough in The Large auditorium from 19 October to 21 November 2026.

Set in the near future, Memoriam imagines a world in which a tech company can extract, package and sell people’s memories as fully immersive VR experiences. Rachel is a buyer for the company – sharp, persuasive and good at her job. When her grandmother Rivka becomes the last living Holocaust survivor, Rachel sees both a professional opportunity and a profound responsibility: to preserve the most important memory the world may never otherwise keep. What begins as a proposition to her grandmother Rivka quickly unravels into a family conflict about ownership, legacy, ethics and what we owe the dead, as Rachel tries to secure Rivka’s memories for preservation. Sharply funny and deeply moving, the play asks who has the right to tell the stories of the past – and who gets to decide how they are remembered

Beverley Klein plays Rivka, Rachel’s grandmother and the last living Holocaust survivor, whose memories become the focus of a profound family conflict about legacy, ethics and ownership. Recently nominated for the 2025 Olivier Award for her performance as Yente in Fiddler on the Roof, Beverley has also appeared as Fraulein Schneider in the award-winning West End production of Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club. Across a career spanning more than 45 years, her stage credits include Indecent, Candide, Romeo and Juliet and the original cast of Les Misérables, with television appearances including Endeavour, Call the Midwife, Mr Selfridge and Inspector Morse. 

Memoriam arrives at an urgent cultural moment. As the last Holocaust survivors age and die, the question is asked – what happens when living history turns into a story?. At the same time, growing debates around AI, data ownership and the commercialisation of personal experience make the play’s central conceit uncomfortably plausible. Recent studies have shown that Holocaust awareness among young Europeans is at a historic low. Memoriam finds a startling new way into one of the most important events of the twentieth century.

“Memoriam was written during the pandemic, but it was also shaped by seeing theatre productions of Jewish stories with no Jewish creatives, the endless stream of Holocaust media centred on gentile protagonists, and the casual appropriation of Holocaust imagery for unrelated causes – not to mention people posing for Instagram in death camps.

The Holocaust, as uncomfortable as it is to say, is immensely useful on the internet. Give any discussion long enough to run and, as per Godwin’s Law, someone will compare something to the Holocaust. It made me wonder whether the people who want our stories actually want to hear us tell them. As the Holocaust turns a lived memory into history, Memoriam asks what kind of story it will become – and who gets to tell it.

I chose to explore these questions through Science fiction, as it lets you push those fears to their limit. The humour of the play came almost accidentally, by writing the character with the voices I recognised from my family and community. Humour is an excellent way to deal with trauma… just ask any Jewish family.  – Noga Flaishon, playwright

“My Grandma was a Holocaust survivor. She also loved theatre. She saw it as a space for debate, dialogue and understanding, an experience that made us better humans. With anti-Semitism and Holocaust misinformation on the rise, and AI seeping into our lives, it feels vitally important to be directing this deeply moving, very funny new play by Noga about how we remember and what we pass on to those we love.” Daniel Goldman, director

Memoriam was selected for the Royal Court Theatre’s Open Submissions Festival 2025 – one of five plays chosen from 3,000 applications – where it received a staged reading featuring Maureen Lipman. The play was shortlisted for the Papatango Playwriting Prize, long-listed for the Verity Bargate Playwriting Award in 2024, and named Runner Up in the Jewish Playwrights Prize 2025, which led to its world premiere production at Main Street Theatre in Houston, Texas.

“Noga Flaishon’s astonishing new play Memoriam was a real highlight of the Open Submissions Festival at the Royal Court last year. I’m still thinking about it – and therefore can’t wait to see it again, fully realised by Daniel Goldman, in a full production at Southwark Playhouse Borough.” – David Byrne, Artistic Director & CEO, Royal Court Theatre

The production will introduce a youth ticket initiative, making 40 tickets per night available to under-25s at £10 per ticket. A 2025 study by the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany found that a third of young adults aged 18-29 in the UK were unable to name Auschwitz or any Nazi concentration camp – with nearly a quarter of all UK respondents having encountered Holocaust denial or distortion on social media. (source – Guardian – Jan 25)The production hopes to ensure this vital story reaches the generation that needs it most. 

Further casting to be announced 

WHO KILLED MARILYN?
TO MAKE WORLD PREMIERE
AT THE EMERALD THEATRE THIS SUMMER

FROM 15 AUGUST – 29 OCTOBER 2026

WRITTEN BY SHARLEEN COOPER COHEN
DIRECTED BY PHILIP WM MCKINLEY

Producer Tegan Summer is today delighted to announce Who Killed Marilyn? a new play that investigates the mysterious circumstances surrounding Marilyn Monroe’s death, will make its world premiere at The Emerald Theatre for eleven weeks from Saturday 15 August to Thursday 29 October 2026. Tickets are available now from whokilledmarilyn.uk.

Who Killed Marilyn? is a bold new play that dares to challenge the most enduring myth surrounding one of the twentieth century’s most iconic women. Drawing on decades of documented evidence, conspiracy, and cover-up, the production presents a vivid and provocative re-examination of the life and death of Marilyn Monroe, placing her at the centre of a web of power, politics, and desire that reached the highest levels of American government and organised crime.

Who Killed Marilyn? restores Marilyn Monroe to her rightful place, not as victim, but as a woman of extraordinary intelligence, wit, and force, whose story has never been fully told. Until now.

Book writer Sharleen Cooper Cohen is the author of seven internationally published novels and three musicals, including An Officer and a Gentleman. She said:“My fascination with the real Marilyn Monroe has occupied me while writing this play. Marilyn’s persona spoke to me, and I have honoured that. I am thrilled to see my play, a validation of Marilyn Monroe, on the 100th anniversary of her birth. I am delighted to be working with Tegan Summer Theatricals at the gorgeous Emerald Theatre.”

Director Philip Wm. McKinley (Elf: The Musical, Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark)commented:“When Tegan Summer invited me to join forces with him and author Sharleen Cooper Cohen for the world premiere of the play exploring the mysterious death of Marilyn Monroe, I answered with a resounding and heartfelt “yes.” As a director captivated by Marilyn’s untold stories and determined to illuminate hidden truths, I am thrilled to bring a bold, investigative lens to unravelling the enigma at the heart of “Who Killed Marilyn Monroe.”  

Producer Tegan Summer (Aspects of Love, For Black Boys…)added: “Marilyn Monroe has been with me for many years. Sharleen Cooper Cohen has finally told the story Marilyn was never allowed to tell, and in doing so has reopened a conversation the world closed too soon. When I read this play, I knew it had to be produced on the London stage. Under Philip McKinley’s direction, audiences will question everything they thought they knew about her. Who Killed Marilyn? changes the conversation.”

Joining book writer Sharleen Cooper Cohen and director Philip Wm. McKinley on the creative team are casting director Rob Kelly, set designer Justin Williams, costume designer Jasmine Swan, lighting designer Jack Weir, sound designer Christopher Reid,AV designer Libby Ward and wigs, hair & make-up designer JJ Wigs.

Casting is to be announced.

FIGS IN WIGS BRING THEIR CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED LITTLE WIMMIN TO SOHO THEATRE WALTHAMSTOW THIS DECEMBER

Figs in Wigs presents

Little Wimmin

Written, directed and choreographed by Figs in Wigs

Set Design by Emma Bailey

Costume Design by Ray Gammon – Additional Costumes by Emma Bailey and Saskia Martindale

Touring Lighting Design by Rachel Sampley (Original Lighting Design by Gene Giron) with Sound Design by Suzanna Hurst and AJ Turner

Video by Suzanna Hurst and Technical Octopus Sorcha Stott Strzala

Wigs and Makeup by Rachel Porter

Dramaturgy by Ursula Martinez

Produced by Jenny Pearce

Production Management by Helen Mugridge

Understudy Marianne Chase

Wednesday 2 & Thursday 3 December 2026 at 7.30pm

“Christmas won’t be Christmas without any presents…”

This December, Figs in Wigs bring their critically acclaimed live art ‘adaptation’ of Louisa May Alcott’s classic novel Little Women to Soho Theatre Walthamstow for two performances only on Wednesday 2 and Thursday 3 December 2026.  

Following acclaimed performances across the UK, the company’s wildly inventive production has earned praise for its fearless collision of absurdist comedy, feminist performance, and environmental apocalypse, transforming one of literature’s best-loved novels into something wildly original, joyfully chaotic and entirely its own.

Wild, irreverent and cosmically comical, Little Wimmin dismantles the traditional literary canon to make way for the doomed future of humankind, asking how we think about the past, what’s wrong with the present and what we’re going to do about the future… if there even is one.

Using Little Women as their very own Trojan horse, Figs in Wigs gleefully send the classic spinning off course before dismantling it entirely, mutating it into an outrageous cartoon catastrophe that ricochets through climate change, astrology and the infinite nature of the universe. P.S. Beth dies.

Celebrating storytelling while joyfully questioning literary tradition, Little Wimmin is a shape-shifting theatrical experience that spirals far beyond its literary origins.  Prepare to laugh at theatre, literary tradition, the climate crisis and perhaps even the end of the world.

Figs in Wigs are Alice Roots, Sarah Moore, Suzanna Hurst, Ray Gammon and Rachel Porter. 

Both performances will be BSL-interpreted by Becky Barry.

Little Wimmin was co-commissioned by HOME Manchester and Cambridge Junction through the Stobbs New Ideas Fund, and funded by Arts Council England. Its creation was also supported by artsdepot Creation Space Bursary, Battersea Arts Centre, Pleasance Theatre, New Diorama Theatre, Metal Southend and Queen Mary University of London.

LISTINGS INFORMATION

Little Wimmin

Soho Theatre Walthamstow

Wednesday 2 & Thursday 3 December 2026

Tickets: Figs in Wigs: Little Wimmin – Soho Theatre

Running time: Approximately 120 minutes

Age guidance: 16+

Both performances are BSL-interpreted by Becky Barry.

Wilton’s Music Hall – July 10^th 2026

Reviewed by Heather Chalkley

5*****

Twelve years of well honed CSI improvisation creates an expectation and excitement in the audience, with returners leading the way. Co-creators Lee Apsey and Sarah Kempton have attracted a stellar cast of improv actors to wet your whistle. No fourth wall here! Fully interactive, the audience calls the shots. In fact, we are one of the players, Detective Cliff. 

The acrobatic dialogue created by the cast does everything it can to trip one another up, develop the plot and keep the audience laughing. Keeping track of the plot is a skill in itself, providing moments of hilarity and genius all at once. James Cann appearing as the family pet sparrow, wandering about the stage and bumping into the back wall, is one such moment that brings belly laughs from the audience. 

The players testing one another’s linguistic ability to grapple accents and long words keeps you fully involved. The creation of ‘my real voice’ certainly tested Kayleigh Cassidy and Nicola Lucey, digging deep to provide comedy in the moment. 

The beauty of improv is you can change direction at the flip of a coin, sometimes with one line. Having a ship’s captain scared of water that has a penchant for sinking them, certainly did that, thanks to Cann. Kayleigh Cassidy coined the phrase ‘what happens under water, stays underwater’, an inspired line that framed practically the whole plot. 

There is someone holding it all together, barely keeping up with comedic sobriety is Steve Bond as the detective inspector. He does a sterling job of bringing the cast back into focus, after all we are trying to solve a murder here!

If you love Improv, this is a must see. If you have never experienced improv, this is your chance to witness a masterclass!

Leeds Grand Theatre – until 1st August 2026

Reviewed by Dawn Smallwood

5*****

The Sound of Music has come to the Leeds Grand Theatre, courtesy of Opera North. Opera North is reviving the Curve Production which premiered in November 2025. The Sound of Music is one of the most popular musicals to be staged along with its reputed and lovable 1965 film starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer. The Sound of Music is musically and lyrically engineered by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II on the premise of Maria Augusta Trapp’s The Story of the Trapp Family Singers and the book adaptation by Howard Lindsay and Russell Crouse.

Under the original and revival directions of Nikolai Foster and Ollie Khurshid, The Sound of Music, set in 1938 in Austria, comes alive on stage with excellent portrayals of Maria Rainer by Katie Bird and of Captain Georg von Trapp by Edward Bennett. They and the rest of the cast put in a phenomenal performance which one feels engaged from the beginning when Maria begins her governess role and to the end when the von Trapp family leave Austria because of the Annexation by Nazi Germany.

The production certainly isn’t replicating the 1965 infamous and popular film or an opera but this production brings its intimate and theatrical touches which are usually associated with live theatre. The touches are noticeable particularly with the build up to the Annexation and there is close up staging of each scene gradually unravelling the overall plot.

It is such a thoroughly thought-out production courtesy of the creative team including the choreography by both Ebony Molina and Dale White; the staging and costumes by Michael Taylor; the lighting by Mark Henderson; and the soundscapes by Sebastian Frost. The familiar musical numbers are well performed by the cast under the musical direction by Oliver Rundell and the Opera North Orchestra.

There is something for everyone in The Sound of Music and the musical numbers fit in the appropriate emotive situations; particularly the moving Edelweiss towards end of the Second Act, and is sung by Captain von Trapp (Bennett) who knowingly that he will be leaving Austria that very evening, and his emotions are shown and felt towards his homeland. The human spirit certainly shines through all the numbers including The Sound of Music and Climb E’vry Mountain.

This production of The Sound of Music is certainly a show stopping success and is received victoriously by members of the audience. Congratulations and well done to the cast and creative team for putting on such an unmissable production!

JESSE TYLER FERGUSON TO STAR AS TRUMAN CAPOTE

IN JAY PRESSON ALLEN’S TRU

AT THE MENIER CHOCOLATE FACTORY

PRIORITY BOOKING FOR SUPPORTERS OF THE MENIER OPENS ON 13 JULY

PUBLIC BOOKING OPENS ON 20 JULY

With Midnight at the Never Get about to begin performances at the company’s home base, its critically acclaimed production of Equus to open shortly at Theatre Royal Bath, The Producers running in the West End, and Sabrage at Lafayette, the Menier Chocolate Factory, in association with Seaview, OHenry Productions, and Mickey Liddell & Pete Shilaimon,today announces that multi-award-winning Jesse Tyler Ferguson will make his Menier debut playing Truman Capote in Jay Presson Allen’s play Tru. Directed by the award-winning Rob Ashford, Tru opens on 27 September, with previews from 19 September, and runs until 14 November, following the production’scritically acclaimed New York run earlier this year.

Drawn entirely from Capote’s own words, Tru was originally staged in 1989. Ashford and Ferguson collaborated on this new production in March at House of the Redeemer’s Library.

Jesse Tyler Ferguson said today, “I’m thrilled to bring this intimate production of Tru to the Menier following its successful New York run. The audience response to this unique theatrical experience, and the chance to encounter Truman Capote up close, was incredibly rewarding. I’m delighted that Rob Ashford and I now have the opportunity to share what we’ve created with London audiences.”

Rob Ashford added, “I had the great pleasure of directing Jesse in a staged reading of Tru as a one-night-only charity benefit in Tangier, Morocco, in the summer of 2024. He was mesmerizing! He captured the truth of the man, his humour and heartbreak. I’m thrilled that we get the opportunity to further explore this great pairing of actor and character in London.”

Priority booking for supporters of the Menier Chocolate Factory opens on Monday 13 July, with public booking opening on Monday 20 July.


The Menier Chocolate Factory presents

in association with Seaview, OHenry Productions, and Mickey Liddell & Pete Shilaimon

TRU
By Jay Presson Allen

19 September – 14 November 2026

Cast: Jesse Tyler Ferguson as Truman Capote

Director: Rob Ashford; Designer: Paul Farnsworth

It’s December 1975 and Truman Capote is alone in his New York apartment, reeling from a crisis that cost him friendship of the elite social circle he adored. Drawn entirely from Capote’s own words, this funny and heartbreaking play is an unflinching portrait of an artist at his breaking point, confronting the consequences of his most scandalous work.

Jesse Tyler Ferguson is a Tony-Award winning actor, author, producer and host known not only for his creative work but, for his ongoing advocacy in the LGBTQIA+ community. On stage, Ferguson is currently playing King Herod in Jesus Christ Superstar at The London Palladium; and recently made his West End debut starring in Stephen Sondheim’s final work, Here We Are, at the National Theatre. This past summer he helped reopen NYC’s famed Delacorte Theatre in Central Park with a star-studded production of Twelfth Night. For his turn as accountant Mason Marzac in the revival of Richard Greenberg’s Tony-winning play Take Me Out, he earned a Tony Award in the category of Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play. The acclaimed performance also earned him the Outer Critics Circle Award and a Drama League Distinguished Performance Award nomination.

Ferguson currently serves as producer and host of the podcast Dinner’s on Me, now in its third season from Sony Music Entertainment. He was featured in Universal’s Cocaine Bear directed by Elizabeth Banks, and his scripted podcast Gay Pride & Prejudice was released exclusively on Spotify. Ferguson also produced the documentary Broadway Rising which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2022. In addition, Ferguson served as an executive producer on David France’s BAFTA-winning and Emmy-nominated documentary, Welcome to Chechnya, based on the anti-gay purges in Chechnya of the late 2010s. Ferguson also released his first cookbook in 2021, Food Between Friends.

Ferguson starred as the widely beloved character Mitchell Pritchett on the award-winning ABC comedy Modern Family, which ran for an impressive 11 seasons. The show earned five Emmy Awards for Outstanding Comedy Series, a Golden Globe Award for Outstanding Comedy Series and four Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series. Ferguson has also received five Emmy Award nominations and four People’s Choice Award nominations on behalf of the show.

Ferguson made his Broadway debut at the age of 21 as Chip in George C. Wolfe’s revival of On the Town. He later went on to originate the role of Leaf Coneybear in the Tony Award—winning Broadway musical The 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. He has also worked extensively with The New York Public Theatre’s Shakespeare in the Park in various notable productions.

A longstanding advocate for marriage equality and LGBTQIA+ rights, Ferguson co-founded Pronoun, previously known as Tie the Knot, in 2012 with his husband Justin Mikita. The organization has proudly raised over $1.5 million and has supported important and impactful LGBTQIA+ organisations across the nation.

Jay Presson Allen (1922-2006) was a playwright, novelist and screenwriter. Her first novel, Spring Riot, was published in 1948. Her plays include The First Wife which was turned into the 1963 film Wives and Lovers; and for television, Family and Hothouse. Her adaptations include The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie – produced in the West End, on Broadway and on screen with Maggie Smith winning the Oscar for her role; Forty Carats – for which Julie Harris won a Tony Award and was later filmed; Travels With My Aunt directed by George Cukor and starring Maggie Smith; the film version of Cabaret, directed by Bob Fosse for which she received an Academy Award nomination; Marnie directed by Alfred Hitchock.  She also wrote the screenplay for Funny Lady.  She adapted her 1969 novel Just Tell Me What You Want for film director Sidney Lumet.  They also collaborated on her adaptation of Robert Daley’s novel Prince of the City, for which she was nominated for an Oscar, and the screen adaptation of Ira Levin’s play Deathtrap.

Director Rob Ashford is an award-winning director and choreographer. London credits include The Winter’s Tale, Romeo & Juliet, The Entertainer, Harlequinade, Macbeth, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and the Olivier Award-winning productions of Anna Christie, A Streetcar Named Desire and Parade. Broadway credits include Cat on a Hot Tin Roof; Frozen; How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying; Promises, Promises; Evita; Thoroughly Modern Millie (Tony Award for Best Choreography); Shrek;  Cry-Baby (Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards for Best Choreography); Curtains and The Wedding Singer. He directed and choreographed NBC’s Sound of Music Live! and Peter Pan Live!. He directed and choreographed Carousel, Carmen, and The Barber of Seville for Chicago Lyric Opera and Houston Grand Opera and choreographed Candide at La Scala, ENO, and the Châtelet in Paris. He choreographed and staged the 2009, 2013, 2014, and 2015 Academy Awards, winning an Emmy for his work on Baz Luhrmann’s 2009 production number featuring Hugh Jackman and Beyoncé. He has staged the Tony Awards for eight years and has also staged tributes at The Kennedy Center Honors for Barbra Streisand, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Jerry Herman, Barbara Cook, Tom Hanks, Shirley MacLaine and Meryl Streep. Films include choreography for Disney’s Cinderella, Beyond the Sea, A Million Ways to Die in the West, Ted 2, Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile.

LISTINGS INFORMATION 

MENIER CHOCOLATE FACTORY

MIDNIGHT AT THE NEVER GET

11 July – 12 September

TRU

19 September – 14 November

MENIER ELSEWHERE

EQUUS

Theatre Royal Bath

14 – 25 July

THE PRODUCERS

Garrick Theatre

Booking until 19 September

SABRAGE

Lafayette London

Currently booking until 6 September

Box Office: 020 7378 1713 (£2.50 transaction fee per booking)

Website: www.menierchocolatefactory.com (£1.50 transaction fee per booking)

www.menierchocolatefactory.com

Instagram: @menierchocolatefactory

ROYAL SHAKESPEARE COMPANY’S

MULTI-AWARD WINNING MUSICAL

ANNOUNCES NEW

YOUNG PERFORMERS JOINING

ITS UK & IRELAND TOUR OF

NEW YOUNG CAST MEMBERS JOIN SHOW

AT BIRMINGHAM HIPPODROME

NEW PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE YOUNG PERFORMERS

RELEASED TODAY

Friday 10  July  2026 –  New casting of the young performers for the hugely successful UK and Ireland tour of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of Matilda The Musical was announced today.  The production, which has now been seen by 13 million people in over 100 cities world-wide, last week opened at Birmingham Hippodrome where it will run until 2 August.  The next stop, from 6 August, is Norwich Theatre Royal.

Felicity Brown, Petra Hutchings and Caroline Ravansari join current company members Mollie Hutton, and Sanna Kurihara to share the title role of Matilda.

The other young performers joining the company today are:  Sophia Aina, Dalia Al Nagar, Jett Austin-Richards, Rio Chigwedere, Beatrice Clark, Isaac Cruickshank, Rupert Dunne, Polly Florence, Rahsaan Higgins, Kobi Lau, George Montgomery, Jacob Nolan, Thomas Rankin, Kaiheim Ricketts, Zienna-Rose Sterling, Cory Trimble, Martha Tutill and Aaron Zicman.  They join current company member John Johnson.

The new cast members, many of whom live in and around the West Midlands, made a special visit to Touchwood Mall in Solihull to pose alongside Miss Trunchbull’s chair.

For the adult cast:  Richard Hurst continues to play Miss Trunchbull, with Tessa Kadler as Miss Honey, Adam Stafford as Mr Wormwood and Rebecca Thornhill as Mrs Wormwood.

They are joined by Scotty Armstrong, Sam Holden, Portia Jefferies, Caoimhe Judd, Brooke Kelly, Ryan Lay, Cassandra Lee, Samuel Leon, Jordan Maisuria-Wake, Nicole Manumbre, Lizzie Nance, Esther Niles, Jordan Ricketts, Josh Singleton, Bradley Trevethan, Ella Tweed, Ben Tyler and Karen Walker.

Matilda The Musical continues its run at Birmingham Hippodrome until 2 August 2026, then plays at  Norwich Theatre Royal from 6 August until 6 September, Bord Gais Energy Theatre in Dublin from 15 September to 18 October, Milton Keynes Theatre from 28 October to 14 November, Glasgow Theatre Royal from 18 November to 5 December and completes its tour at Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff for a festive run from 9 December to 17 January 2027.

The internationally renowned musical, which celebrates its 15^th Anniversary this year,  continues to play to packed houses in the West End at the Cambridge Theatre.

For all tour booking and further casting information visit www.matildathemusical.com.

This anarchic production, about a strong and determined heroine with a vivid imagination, has won over 100 global awards, including 25 for Best Musical.  A film adaptation made by the core creative team received its World Premiere at the London Film Festival in October 2022 and can now be watched on Netflix and BBC IPlayer.

Written by Dennis Kelly, with music and lyrics by Tim Minchin and developed and directed by Matthew Warchus, the production is designed by Rob Howell, with choreography by Peter Darling, orchestrations, additional music and musical supervision by Christopher Nightingale, lighting by Hugh Vanstone, sound by Simon Baker and special effects and illusions by Paul Kieve.

Social Media:

Facebook: @MatildaTheMusical
Instagram: @MatildaTheMusical

TikTok: @thersc

#TimeToBeRevolting

Theatre Royal Windsor – until Saturday 11th July 2026

Reviewed by Andrew and Kate Lawrence

5*****

“A funny story, made so much funnier”

Whilst we’re not about to complain about the inhuman, unbearable heat of these barmy summer evenings, the thought of spending a Wednesday night inside a historic Grade II-listed theatre with no air conditioning did fill us with some trepidation. Fortunately, by the time we arrived at the Theatre Royal Windsor for Our Man in Havana, our Hawaiian shirts, chino shorts and open-toe sandals felt entirely appropriate for an evening in 1950s Cuba.

Originally a novel by Graham Greene and adapted for the stage by Clive Francis, Our Man in Havana transports us to pre-revolutionary Havana. James Wormold (Jack Ashton) is a struggling vacuum cleaner salesman who is unexpectedly recruited by the British Secret Service. Reluctant by nature and keen to avoid conflict—even with his own daughter—Wormold is tempted by the generous salary on offer. Rather than become a genuine spy, he decides to fabricate intelligence reports, inventing a network of fictional agents and passing off imaginary stories as fact. What begins as a harmless deception soon spirals beyond his control, as his inventions start to take on a dangerously real life of their own.

The production makes excellent use of a deceptively simple set, cleverly transformed into a variety of locations through the seamless movement of rolling panels and furniture. In much the same way, the story features more than thirty characters, but the entire production is performed by just four exceptional actors: Jack Ashton, Bob Barrett, Leon Ockenden and Jodie Steele.

There is a brief initial period of adjustment as the actors repeatedly reappear in different costumes, accents and personalities, but it quickly becomes part of the fun. Before long, you find yourself admiring not only the versatility of the performances but also the astonishing speed of the costume changes—Jodie Steele manages one such transformation in around three seconds, which felt nothing short of miraculous.

The original book by Green is a funny story, made so much funnier by the adaption to the stage by Clive Francis using just the four actors and maximised by the superb comedy acting quartet.

We left the theatre elated, grinning from ear to ear, and maybe just a little sweaty from an evening spent in Havana. Another must-see play in Windsor, it closes on Sat 11th July, go see it.

York Theatre Royal – until 11 July 2026

Reviewed by Sal E Marino

5***** 

If you’ve ever thought Shakespeare was intimidating, overly serious or simply not for you, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) is here to prove you spectacularly wrong. The Reduced Shakespeare Company’s iconic comedy, written by the immensely talented Adam Long, Daniel Singer and Jess Winfield, transforms the Bard’s entire canon into a whirlwind of outrageous comedy, quick-fire wit and infectious fun. Under the brilliant direction of Adam Long, this production at York Theatre Royal is an absolute triumph from start to finish.

Performed by the extraordinary trio of Woogie Jung, Tom Pavey and Kiran Raywilliams, this is Shakespeare presented in a completely new light. Bursting onto the stage with boundless energy, impeccable comic timing and seemingly limitless enthusiasm, the three performers take on the impossible challenge of presenting all 37 plays and the sonnets in just over ninety minutes. The result is nothing short of theatrical magic.

There are no rules here and certainly no limits to the imagination. Shakespeare’s greatest works are hilariously reimagined through songs, poems, sketches, lightning-fast costume changes, improvised moments, audience participation and plenty of wonderfully absurd theatrical invention. Every scene brings another surprise, and just when you think they’ve reached peak silliness, the company somehow raises the stakes again.

Jung, Pavey and Raywilliams have truly set the bar high when it comes to delivering dynamic, intelligent and side-splittingly funny performances. Their chemistry is exceptional, feeding effortlessly off one another whilst maintaining the show’s relentless pace. The physical comedy is superb, the wordplay razor sharp, and every member of the audience is swept along by their infectious enthusiasm. Their willingness to embrace every ridiculous idea with complete commitment is what makes this production such a joy to watch.

The audience becomes as much a part of the performance as the cast themselves, creating the atmosphere of one giant celebration rather than a traditional theatre production. Whether you’re a lifelong Shakespeare enthusiast or someone encountering his work for the very first time, the show has something for everyone. The cleverness lies in the fact that beneath all the chaos and comedy, there remains a genuine affection and respect for Shakespeare’s extraordinary writing.

The show’s unforgettable finale, an utterly bonkers retelling of Hamlet, is undoubtedly one of its greatest highlights. Involving the audience in increasingly ridiculous ways, it somehow manages the impossible: making one of Shakespeare’s most complex tragedies not only hilarious but surprisingly enlightening. As daft as the concept sounds, you genuinely come away with a deeper appreciation and understanding of the play, all while laughing harder than you thought possible.

The production is brought to the stage by producers John Terry and Rachel Jermy for Theatre Chipping Norton, alongside Sarah Crompton-Howes, Joe Brown and Kat Lepik for Selladoor Worldwide, who have assembled a first-class creative team and cast that deliver entertainment of the highest calibre.

Fast-paced, fearless and gloriously chaotic, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) is a masterclass in comic theatre. It celebrates the genius of Shakespeare while never taking itself too seriously, reminding us that theatre should, above all else, be entertaining. It is zany, clever, brilliantly performed and packed with laugh-out-loud moments from beginning to end. Whether you’re a Shakespeare scholar or someone who’s never opened one of his plays, this production is guaranteed to leave you smiling.

Quite simply, this is one of the funniest nights at the theatre you’ll have all year. Don’t miss it.