The multi award-winning theatre known for its ambitious musical productions is proud to announce the launch of Hope Mill Theatre Arts, which will offer a BA Honours degree in Musical Theatre Performance. The expansion comes as they celebrate their milestone 10th Anniversary year.
Hope Mill Theatre Arts will be one of the first courses of its kind operated by a producing theatre offering high quality musical theatre training at degree level. Students will be training in a busy and active producing theatre, surrounded by industry professionals and creatives with first-hand experience of the musical profession. Hope Mill Theatre have expanded their current space to allow for the new move, taking on the rest of the lower ground floor of Hope Mill, the Grade II listed mill that is currently home to their theatre space.
Hope Mill Theatre Arts has been in development for the past 4 years and has just secured its validation from Northern School of Contemporary Dance in Leeds. The first intake for the course is set for September 2026, with around 30 students per year, allowing for a more focused and nurturing learning experience as well as more contact time for students.
Darren Carr, Vice Principal & Director of Higher Education of Northern School of Contemporary Dance said: “I am thrilled to announce a transformative partnership between Hope Mill Theatre Arts and Northern School of Contemporary Dance (the awarding body), marking a bold step in reimagining musical theatre training in the UK. Rooted in shared values of creativity, community, and inclusion, this collaboration brings together NSCD’s vocational, academic excellence and sector-leading student support with Hope Mill’s award-winning creative vision and vibrant industry connections. Together, we are launching the BA (Hons) Musical Theatre Performance programme for 2026 entry, a course that champions versatility, innovation, and professional readiness scaffolded through its design and delivery. This partnership embodies NSCD’s strategic mission to connect, nurture talent, and inspire change.
In uniting with award winning Hope Mill Theatre, a producing house known for opening doors to underrepresented voices, we are creating a space where students not only learn, they thrive. With rigorous technical instruction across singing, acting, and dance, and real-world experience embedded through performance projects and industry showcases, students will graduate not only as skilled performers but as collaborative, forward-thinking artists.
At its heart, this programme is a celebration of what can be achieved when education and industry co-create, preparing the next generation to shape the future of musical theatre with confidence, craft, and compassion.
We’re not just preparing students for the stage—we’re creating space for new stories to be told.”
From William Whelton, founder and CEO of Hope Mill Theatre and Principal of Hope Mill Theatre Arts said: “For the past 4 years Hope Mill Theatre have been exploring expansion into higher education, initially in Musical Theatre. Having grown up in a farming community I am all too familiar with the need to diversify, and arts training is an area most passionate to me. For many years, exceptional arts training, specifically in Musical Theatre has been very London focused. Having relocated myself to train, it can at times be a barrier for many and make training inaccessible. Manchester and the North has always been a beacon of culture and through our own productions we have experienced the gap in training provisions in the region. Over the past 10 years Hope Mill Theatre has gained a reputation for producing some of the most exciting musicals in the UK and we want to now go back to the root of the industry that we love so passionately and offer opportunities to young people wanting to pursue careers in Musical Theatre. The curtain has been rising on shows and now it will rise on the performers of the future. NSCD is an organisation we have admired from afar, not only as a fellow regional champion of arts excellence but in its fresh and exciting approach to dance training. This partnership will see Hope Mill Theatre Arts offer a fresh and truly unique training opportunity within Manchester and the North of England and we can’t wait to welcome our first cohort of students. We create art, we create artists.
Hope Mill Theatre will continue to receive and produce shows at our venue, with productions such as Little Shop of Horrors already announced for late 2026, but the programme of work in our current space will become more reduced as HMTA grows. It is still our ambitions to expand into a larger building one day and we have been working closely with Manchester City Council on this. In the meantime, Hope Mill Theatre productions will continue to be produced outside of the venue in other spaces across the city, and recently we announced a yearly collaboration with Lowry theatre, starting with Disney’s High School Musical next summer.
I am excited about what the future can be for Hope Mill Theatre as we make this exciting leap.”
Hope Mill Theatre is an award-winning venue, known for its ambitious in-house productions including Hair – the Musical (London, UK Tour); the UK premiere of Yank! (Charing Cross Theatre, London); the European premiere of Little Women, Spring Awakening, Pippin (Southwark Playhouse, London); Aspects of Love (Southwark Playhouse); Rags (The Park Theatre); Mame (starring Tracie Bennett); Jonathan Harvey’s Hushabye Mountain, The Wiz, Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella (Hope Mill Theatre); LIZZIE (UK Tour & Southwark Playhouse); World Premiere of To Wong Foo the Musical, based on the Hollywood movie (Hope Mill Theatre); The Gap starring Denise Welch and Matthew Kelly (Hope Mill Theatre); GYPSY! (Starring Jodie Prenger) and Glorious! (Starring Wendi Peters). Their upcoming productions include the regional premiere of Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein, a special fundraising concert of Acorn Antiques The Musical and the UK premiere of Disney’s High School Musical.
Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women has been tugging at our heartstrings since 1868, and judging by the current UK tour—now stopping at Darlington Hippodrome—it’s not running out of emotional mileage any time soon. Adapted by Anne-Marie Casey and directed by Loveday Ingram, this production manages the neat trick of making a 19th-century family drama feel like it’s speaking directly to us in 2025. That’s no small feat when bonnets are involved.
The story, of course, is as familiar as a well-thumbed paperback: the March sisters—Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy—navigate the highs and lows of growing up in Civil War-era New England. There’s ambition, romance, tragedy, sibling squabbles, and more hair being chopped off than you’d expect in a respectable household. It’s basically “coming of age” with added corsetry.
Natalie Dunne as Jo March gives us a Jo who is fiery, restlessly ambitious, and yet heartbreakingly human in her disappointments. Her struggle to reconcile her drive to write with the expectations placed on her (by family, society, her own conscience) is one of the most compelling aspects of the performance. Jade Oswald as Meg, Megan Richards as Beth, and Jewelle Hutchinson as Amy each bring fully realised differences: we see Meg’s yearning for stability, Beth’s gentle sacrificial spirit, Amy’s gradual growth from vanity toward something more grounded. Perry Williams’ Laurie is touching, sometimes infuriating, always a foil to the sisters’ dynamics. Supporting performances — Belinda Lang (Dear John, 2point4 Children) as the overbearing Aunt March (with an accent not out of place in Gone with the Wind) and the wonderful Juliet Aubrey (Middlemarch, Snatch) as Marmee — anchor the family, giving us the traditions, the pressures, and the caring that shape the sisters’ world.
Ingram’s direction keeps things moving with a light touch: moments of tenderness are allowed to breathe, but never descend into syrup. The set and costume design conjure period detail without ever making the production feel like a dusty museum exhibit. The effect is both faithful and fresh—like finding out your gran is secretly brilliant at TikTok.
The themes, of course, are timeless. Jo’s determination to be a writer on her own terms, Meg’s longing for love and stability, Amy’s battle between art and ambition, Beth’s quiet heroism—all resonate as powerfully today as they did 150 years ago. The central tension between personal ambition and societal expectation is one which women (and men) are still grappling with: career or family? Self-expression or conformity? How many sacrifices are too many? Watching Jo wrestle with these questions feels oddly like sitting in on a very stylish therapy session.
This production isn’t flawless—some minor characters could use a little more oomph, and occasionally the sentimentality teeters on the edge of a Hallmark card—but these are quibbles. At its heart, this is a witty, warm, and heartfelt take on a classic, delivered with energy and sincerity.
So, if you fancy an evening of laughter, tears, and possibly envying Jo’s literary firepower, Little Women at Darlington Hippodrome is well worth a visit. Just don’t forget the tissues. And maybe a notebook—Jo’s work ethic is alarmingly contagious.
FULL CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR THE FESTIVE RETURN OF CELEBRATED FAMILY HIT BALLET SHOES
The National Theatre today announces full casting for the festive return of Kendall Feaver’sacclaimed adaptation of Noel Streatfeild’s best-selling book Ballet Shoes as rehearsals begin on the South Bank. Ballet Shoes’ return forms part of Director and Co-CEO Indhu Rubasingham’s inaugural season and will run in the Olivier theatre from 17 November 2025 to 21 February 2026.
Rounding out the cast are ensemble members Julie Armstrong, Shailan Gohil and Mark Hammersley.
They join previously announced performers Sienna Arif-Knights as Petrova Fossil, Raj Bajaj as Jai, Rosie Boore in the Ensemble, Eryck Brahmania as Prince, Chrissy Brooke as Young Manoff/ Ballerina/Ensemble, Nina Cassells as Pauline Fossil, Luke Cinque-White as Flyman, Pandora Colin as Dr Jakes, Stephanie Elstob as a Swing, Sebastian Goffin as a Swing, Georges Hann as Flyman, Nadine Higgin as Theo, Gracie Hodson-Prior as Winifred, Anoushka Lucas as Sylvia, Scarlett Monahan as Posy Fossil, Kaitlyn Moore in the Ensemble, Lesley Nicol as Nana, Anu Ogunmefun in the Ensemble, Suzy Osadchyi as a Swing, Xolisweh Ana Richards as Katerina Federovksy, Justin Salinger as Great Uncle Matthew/Fidolia/Mr French/Mr Sholsky/Madame Manoff and Katie Singh in the Ensemble.
Directed by Katy Rudd, this ‘playful, graceful adaptation’ (★★★★★ Financial Times) ‘never puts a foot wrong’ (★★★★★ London Standard). Delighting audiences both old and young, the production ‘springs from page to stage with panache’ (★★★★★ WhatsonStage).
In a crumbling house full of dinosaur bones and fossils, three adopted sisters – Pauline, Petrova and Posy – are learning who they are and what they want to be. Under the watchful eyes and guidance of their guardian Sylvia, Nana, and some unlikely lodgers, they fight to pursue their individual passions. But in a world that wasn’t built for women with big ambitions, can they forge a future, keep their family together, and even learn a dance or two along the way?
Directed by Katy Rudd with set designer Frankie Bradshaw, costume designer Samuel Wyer, choreographer Ellen Kane, composer Asaf Zohar, dance arrangements and orchestrations Gavin Sutherland, lighting designer Paule Constable, sound designer Ian Dickinsonfor Autograph, video designer Ash J Woodward, illusions Chris Fisher, casting directors Bryony Jarvis-Taylor CDG and Martin Poile CDG, classical coach Cira Robinson, dialect coach Penny Dyer, voice coaches Cathleen McCarron and Zoe Littleton, associate choreographer Luke Cinque-White, associate lighting designer Imogen Clarke and staff director Jasmine Teo.
The National Theatre is delighted to once again be collaborating throughout the Ballet Shoes run with Coram, the UK’s first and longest continuing children’s charity who provide adoption services for families and children across the capital and beyond.
Ballet Shoeswill play in the Olivier theatre from 17 November 2025 to 21 February 2026, with a press night on Tuesday 25 November 2025. Recommended for ages 7 to 107!
Writer Torben Betts has pulled it out of the bag again, taking risks with the audience, producing comedy, farce, extreme violence, love and family drama in one package! Director Philip Franks has the unenviable task of creating 5 sets on one stage, managing to keep the momentum going at high speed.
Jason Durr (Jonny) plays the lead gangster, retaining a cool, calm, collected veneer, with a tumult of childhood trauma barely beneath the surface. His batty mother Shirley (Susie Blake) gives you glimpses of his harsh upbringing amongst the innocent humour of her forgetful character. A twisted love between the two keeps them close, in fact she lives in his house! Blake (Shirley) carries off the sparkly frock and dressing gown perfectly! Keep your senses peeled for the true protagonist in the plot.
The inept copper well out of his depth is ably played by Max Bowden. Paul (Bowden) known for not being very good at his job thinks he is falling in love with his mark, Lisa (Katie McGlynn). She just happens to be Jonny’s (Durr) girlfriend! McGlynn’s (Lisa) body language and facial expression gives you insight into Lisa’s fear and anxiety, masked by the humour in her words.
Paul Moreton (Trainwreck) gives you the most depth of character, ranging from lost boy to frenzied maniac. A believable caricature!
You are left guessing what the relationship between ‘Mr Fish’ (Callum Balmforth) and Cristina (Iryna Poplavska) is. Balmforth (Russell) gives just the right level of desperation and uncertainty that drives him to extreme action he cannot carry through.
You have to keep your wits about you throughout the play, to match the pace of having several sets with action going on all at once.
You have an uneasy sympathy for characters with a dark past and aspirations for a better future. It all leads to catastrophic outcomes which make you wonder why you are laughing!
The producers of the brand-new musical HERE & NOW, presented by UK pop sensation, Steps, are delighted to announce that West End actress Lara Denning will take over the role of Caz from 11 November 2025. Rebecca Lock who currently plays Caz will leave the production on Sunday 9 November.
Lara Denning recently finished playing Anne Hathaway in the UK and Ireland tour of & Juliet. Her other theatre credits include Standby Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard (Savoy Theatre), Miss Hedge in Everybody’s Talking About Jamie (Apollo Theatre), Doreen/Miss Elf in The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 ¾ (The Ambassadors & Menier Chocolate Factory), Mrs Wormwood and Miss Honey in Matilda (Cambridge Theatre), Mrs Bucket in Charlie & The Chocolate Factory (Theatre Royal Drury Lane), Lex Logan in Eugenius! (Turbine Theatre), Mrs Mullin in Carousel (Kilworth House Theatre), Miss Hedge in Everybody’s Talking About Jamie (UK Tour), Mrs Cratchit in Scrooge The Musical (Curve Theatre, Leicester), The Rocky Horror Show (European Tour), Gotta Sing, Gotta Dance (UK Tour), All the Fun of the Fair (UK Tour) and Dirty Dancing in Concert (UK Tour). Her TV and film credits include: Rosalind in I Came By (New Regency/Film4), singer for Matilda (Sony Pictures), Ruthless The Musical (BroadwayHD), Dick Whittington (UK cinema release/Kaleidoscope), Glass Body (short film), Leave a Light On (online concert), Menthos (commercial), and various recordings including The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 ¾, The Little Big Things (promo), Toast of London (Channel 4) and Dear Evan Hansen (Noël Coward Theatre).
The cast of HERE & NOW currently includes Rebecca Lock* as Caz, Jacqui Dubois as Vel, Blake Patrick Anderson as Robbie, Rosie Singha as Neeta, Finty Williams* as Patricia, River Medway as Jem, Chris Grahamson as Gareth, Edward Baker-Duly as Max, Ben Darcy as Ben, John Stacey as Lesley and Lauren Woolf as Tracey.
Also in the cast are Georgia Christofi, Kade Ferraiolo, Albert Green, Harry Jack, Casey Jay, Charlie-Jay Johnson, Rosemary Annabella Nkrumah, Dean Rickards, Markus Södergren, Genevieve Taylor and Jessica Vaux.
Featuring Steps’ most beloved hit songs, HERE & NOW has an original book by Shaun Kitchener and is produced by the band and ROYO with Pete Waterman. It is directed by Rachel Kavanaugh, with choreography by Olivier Award-winning Matt Cole and Matt Spencer-Smith as musical supervisor, orchestrator and arranger.
Welcome to seaside superstore Better Best Bargains, where it’s Friday night, the vibe is right, and everyone’s dancing in the aisles. But when Caz discovers the shelves are stocked with lies and betrayal, the summer of love she and her friends dreamed of suddenly feels like a tragedy. Have they all lost their chance of a ‘happy ever after’? Or does love have other plans in store…
Steps (Claire Richards, Faye Tozer, Ian ‘H’ Watkins, Lee Latchford-Evans and Lisa Scott-Lee) are the UK’s most successful mixed sex pop group of all time, with 14 top five singles, 4 number one albums, 22 million record sales, 500 million streams & 11 sold-out national arena tours under their belts. The band’s hits include #1 singles Tragedy/Heartbeat and Stomp, the gold certified One For Sorrow & Better Best Forgotten, the silver certified 5,6,7,8, Last Thing On My Mind, Love’s Got A Hold On My Heart, Chain Reaction, all of which will feature in the musical alongside many more.
Steps’ 2017 comeback tour sold out all 300,000 tickets, making it one of the biggest pop tours of the year. The band have since continued to release new music including two further iTunes #1 singles, the Sia-penned What The Future Holds in 2020 and the Michelle Visage duet Heartbreak In This City in 2022. In 2022 Steps celebrated their 25th anniversary with a headline summer tour and released the #1 album Platinum Collection which means they join ABBA, Rolling Stones and Stereophonics as the only groups in UK history to score #1 albums in four consecutive decades.
Musical supervision, orchestrations and arrangements by Matt Spencer-Smith, set design by Tom Rogers, costume design by Gabriella Slade, lighting design by Howard Hudson, sound design by Adam Fisher, wigs and hair design by Sam Cox, make-up design by Jackie Saundercock, casting by Will Burton for Grindrod Burton Casting, Music Technology by Phij Adams and Production Management by Setting Line.
*Please note Rebecca Lock and Finty Williams will be performing in the production until November 2025, with further casting to be announced in due course.
2025/26 TOUR SCHEDULE
23 September – 4 October Dublin Bord Gais Energy Theatre 0818719 377 (ROI)
Jane Austen’s ever-popular Emma returns to the stage in a refined new adaptation by Ryan Craig and directed by Stephen Unwin. If you’re an Austen fan, you will already be familiar with the matchmaking, misunderstandings and life lessons that come with this story. But even if you are not an Austen aficionado, there’s still plenty to enjoy here.
Set in the drawing rooms and gardens of Regency England. The play follows the meddlesome but well-meaning Emma Woodhouse (India Shaw-Smith) as she navigates her way through the social circles of Highbury, Surrey, constantly trying to manage the love lives of those around her, all while maintaining that she never intends to be married. India Shaw-Smith plays her with just the right mix of confidence, playfulness, and eventually self-awareness. Emma is not always a likeable character, but Shaw-Smith manages to keep the audience on her side throughout. Alongside her, Mr Knightley (Ed Sayer) is understated, but quietly commanding. Always ready to inform Emma when she has gone too far with her intrusive ways.
The ensemble is strong. Rose Quentin delivers an outstanding performance as the outspoken Augusta Hawkins, played with devilish glee as she constantly belittles those around her, especially her bumbling new husband, Phillip Elton (Oscar Batterham). Some characters feel somewhat underwritten, particularly Jane Fairfax (Jade Kennedy) and Frank Churchill (Peter Losasso). Although both give excellent performances, the storyline of their secret relationship felt a little rushed at times, leaving certain scenes without the dramatic weight they might otherwise carry. Harriet Smith (played in this performance by understudy Lukwesa Mwamba) is the focus of Emma’s attentions throughout. As she tries to stop Harriet’s burgeoning relationship with farmer Robert Martin (Daniel Rainford), she believes he is not good enough for Harriet. Mwamba and Rainford had great chemistry as the sweet, but often naive lovers. Completing the main ensemble was William Chubb as Mr Woodhouse, who managed to steal nearly every scene! Constantly being told to leave the room or inadvertently walking in at the wrong moment, Chubb gave a hilariously droll performance and won the audience over from his very first scene.
The set and costume design by Ceci Calf is simple and effective. A wooden floor and a clouded sky backdrop remain throughout. Props are strategically moved into place by the ensemble as each new scene begins. There is just the right amount of era-appropriate ornaments and furniture. This allows the focus to remain on the characters and dialogue. The direction is assured, if slightly slow in the first act, although the pace picked up considerably in the second act as more storylines unravelled and more comedic moments kept the audience’s attention.
Stephen Unwin’s direction allows Austen’s comedy to shine through. The production is a well-crafted period piece that remains true to the source material, while still feeling relevant to today’s audiences. This is quite an achievement, considering that this year marks the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth, and the book on which the play was based was first published in 1815. Emma at Birmingham Rep is an elegant, enjoyable evening of theatre, and judging by the prolonged applause at last night’s curtain call, it would appear the Birmingham audience agreed with me.
The Little Theatre Leicester – until 4 October 2025
Reviewed by Leanne W
5*****
The Little Theatre is a small volunteer run theatre in the centre of Leicester. The performers and production team are amateur.
The Unfriend is written by Stephen Moffatt (Sherlock and Doctor Who) and has enjoyed a recent run in London following it’s opening at the Chichester Festival. This satirical dark comedy explores the most British or afflictions; the struggle to be polite, at all costs!
The story regards middle class couple Peter and Debbie (Jordan Handford and Emma Bamford) who, whilst holidaying on cruise befriend the brash, right-wing Elsa (Rachel Barker-Evans) from Denver, USA. As the holiday ends, they agree to remain in touch and swap details. We all have been there, we know there will be no further contact, and the couple had hoped the same – but not this time! A few months later, when Elsa invites herself to stay, they Google her and learn all too late the truth about this woman, who it turns out is a serial killer. This is where we get to the crux of the story, how do you protect yourselves from a house guest who is also a murderer, without being rude. It turns out that if the murderess is able to convince your hermit teenage soon to go outside and exercise and encourages your daughter from her surly teenage years, it’s fairly easy. Easier than having to ask her to leave.
The play opens on the deck of a cruise ship, and we see Peter and Elsa discussing their opposing views of Donald Trump. The scene ends with the exchanging of details the set cleverly opens to reveal the home that Peter and Debbie share with their children Alex and Rosie (Thom Jones and Amelie Wilson-Knight). This, considering the facilities in the small theatre is fantastic, and an absolute credit to set designer Tristan Knowles and Master Carpenter Dave Towers. This scene consisting of the kitchen, living room and stairs, remained efficiently for the rest of the play. Lighting and sound (Andy Crooks and Amanda Priestly) are used effectively throughout the performance to enhance this further by creating the subtle sounds of a home and the more creative of the scenes, in particular where we later learn what we see is not part of the ‘real’ story.
Jane Towers has expertly and deftly directed this performance with some outstanding casting. Of note the role of Neighbour gloriously played by David Lovell is a joy to watch, the realism with which he handles the role is testament to his ability. The character is dull and boring, but we thoroughly enjoy his every arrival and every passive aggressive line. Most of these are directed at Peter, who Jordan Handford has absolutely perfected. Every blank expression, fumbled word and astounded reaction is spot on, this is an actor who was born for this role. Every interaction between these two is fabulous and raucously funny. The scene with police officer (Allan Smith) in the toilet is so hilariously uncomfortable I wanted too to both continue and end. The younger actors are able to allow us a very real glimpse of true to life teenagers, complete with strops, grunts and incessant yelling for mum. Emma Bamford shared with us the exasperated wife and mother who is at a loss with how to handle the situation. All supported with Rachel Barker-Evans’ charming, kind and funny Elsa at the centre of the chaos.
In all, this is a glorious interpretation of a great play and absolutely not one which should be missed.
DIRECTED & CHOREOGRAPHED BY THE MULTI AWARD-WINNING JERRY MITCHELL
BASED ON THE NOVEL BY LAUREN WEISBERGER AND THE HIT TWENTIETH CENTURY STUDIOS MOTION PICTURE
RUNNING AT THE DOMINION THEATRE
After a groundbreaking first year in the West End, becoming the fastest selling show in the Dominion’s history, The Devil Wears Prada welcomes in new runway-ready cast members this October, as the show announces another extension, now running at the Dominion Theatre until 26 September 2026.
Vanessa Williams (Ugly Betty, Desperate Housewives) will also continue her reign as the Queen of Fashion, the irrepressible Miranda Priestly, until 18 April 2026. Continuing alongside her, until this date, are Olivier Award winner and Grammy nominated, Matt Henry, MBE,as Runway’s Creative Fashion Director, Nigel and James Darch (Mamma Mia!; Wicked) as the devious journalist, Christian.
Taking over the role of Andy, is Stevie Doc(winner of ITV’s Mamma Mia! I Have A Dream and WhatsOnStage Award nominee for her performance of Sophie in Mamma Mia!), with Taila Halford (Shucked; School of Rock) as Miranda’s fiery and fashion-forward first assistant Emily, and Keelan McAuley (Clueless; Heathers) as Andy’s boyfriend Nate.
Joining the ensemble are: Alex Woodward (also playing Hot Nurse), Anta Bah, Dean Makowshi-Clayton, Georgia Aspinall, Harry Tunningley, Jenna Bonner, Joshua Robinson, Justin-Lee Jones, Kimberley Hoyle, Mark Lamb, Selina Hamilton and Xenoa Campbell-Ledgister.
Completing the cast are: Gabby Antrobus, Selena Barron, Evonnee Bentley-Holder, Pamela Blair, Lloyd Davies, Jinny Gold, Luke Jackson, Emma Johnson, Debbie Kurup, Brandon Lee Sears, Nathan Lorainey-Dineen, Shannon Molloy, Eleanor Peach, Ethan Le Phong, Joshua Steel, Kayleigh Thadani and Tara Yasmin.
Meet the Year Two cast of The Devil Wears Prada HERE
The year two cast will begin performances on Tuesday 21 October.
Opening with record breaking sales and playing to rapturous audiences, this milestone-setting musical continues to take the West End by storm having also recently released its first original cast recording earlier this month, available HERE, which includes two unheard Elton John original demos and charted as the #1 new release on the compilations chart.
Hilariously fun and fabulously stylish, The Devil Wears Prada tells an inspiring story about discovering what kind of person you truly want to be. Choose your outfit carefully and get ready for a new musical that’s hautter than hell!
The Devil Wears Prada has anaward-winning creative team led by Elton John (Tammy Faye, Billy Elliot: The Musical, The Lion King), new direction & choreography by Jerry Mitchell (Kinky Boots, Legally Blonde, Pretty Woman, Hairspray), lyrics by singer-songwriter Shaina Taub (Suffs) and Mark Sonnenblick (Theatre Camp), book by Kate Wetherhead (Ever After, Submissions Only), set design by Tim Hatley (Life of Pi, Back to the Future), costume design by Gregg Barnes (Some Like It Hot, Legally Blonde), lighting design by Bruno Poet (The Tina Turner Musical, Frankenstein), sound design by Gareth Owen (Come From Away, & Juliet) and casting by Jill Green CDG.
The production opened at Theatre Royal Plymouth prior to arriving in the West End last summer, from 06 July – 17 August 2024.
Fresh out of college, aspiring journalist Andy scores a job at the prestigious Runway magazine working for fashion’s most powerful and terrifying icon — editor-in-chief Miranda Priestly. Sacrificing her personal life to meet Miranda’s impossible demands, Andy finds herself seduced by the glamorous world she once despised. How far will she go to succeed… and will it be worth selling her soul to get what she’s always wanted?
The musical is based on Lauren Weisberger‘s best-selling 2003 novel and the 2006 blockbuster film from Twentieth Century Studios which went on to gross $326 million worldwide and received two Academy Award nominations.
The Devil Wears Prada is produced by four time Tony Award winner Kevin McCollum (Mrs. Doubtfire, In the Heights, Avenue Q and Rent), David Furnish (Tammy Faye, Billy Elliot: The Musical) and Jamie Wilson (Mrs Doubtfire, Just For One Day, Sister Act The Musical)as a co-production with Theatre Royal Plymouth, and presented by special arrangement with Buena Vista Theatrical.
Hampstead Theatre, London – until 25th October 2025
Reviewed by Celia Armand Smith
4*****
“Find someone across the room. Someone you don’t know. Look them in the eyes.Now don’t blink….” A woman in a white suit strides into the middle of the theatre and addresses the audience like she is a self help guru at a seminar. Instantly making everyone follow instructions, this is one of the most intense and unsettling openers to a play I have seen in a long time. She is a loud and persuasive voice that we learn is the intrusive voice which overwhelms protagonist Richie (Nathan Clarke). The Billionaire Inside Your Head is the debut play by Will Lord and confronts head on what it is like living with OCD. Not the kind of OCD which many people think of where you’re tidy or a bit of a germaphobe. This is the OCD where you have distressing, intrusive thoughts that create obsessions around those thoughts which you have to repeat because if you don’t there will be repercussions.
Richie and Darwin (Ashley Margolis) are best friends who work in the cabinet-filled basement of a debt recovery company. They are on the lowest rung of the corporate ladder but Richie has dreams of becoming the next Elon Musk. Darwin is an affable weed smoking guy who doesn’t seem to care much for work and only got the job because his mother, Nicole (Allison McKenzie), is CEO. Richie on the surface is put together and has big dreams, he just needs to find someone who will invest in his “ideas”. Darwin has no apparent career aspirations and has concerns about the way his friend deals with situations. The voice behind Richie’s intrusive thoughts also happens to take the form of Darwin’s mother, Nicole. As the story unfolds and we learn more about both Richie and Darwin, we come to understand why she is both the object of Richie’s desires and also the goading personification of his mental health struggles. A dual role of two formidable women which McKenzie plays with an icy precision.
Janet Bird’s set is sparse with papers and desks that fly around the room. James Whiteside’s lighting which ripples and flickers when the voices start to dominate. Lord’s writing on OCD is strong and clear, in part because he himself has dealt with obsessive thoughts and compulsions. The overall narrative could have been a bit tighter, but the cast are wonderful and Clarke and Margolis have a sweet and engaging relationship even when it is truly tested.
The Billionaire Inside Your Head directed by Anna Ledwich is a beautiful and layered observation on mental illness and how it can affect people day to day, superbly acted by a brilliant cast. An excellent debut play from Will Lord. I can’t wait to see what he does next.
JONATHAN CHURCH THEATRE PRODUCTIONS AND CHICHESTER FESTIVAL THEATRE
IN ASSOCIATION WITH NICA BURNS PRESENT
THE WEST END PREMIERE OF THE
ROSE THEATRE, CHICHESTER FESTIVAL THEATRE AND ETT PRODUCTION
OF GEORGE BRANT’S
MARIE AND ROSETTA
STARRING BEVERLEY KNIGHT AND NTOMBIZODWA NDLOVU
OPENING @SOHOPLACE FROM 28 FEBRUARY 2026
Jonathan Church Theatre Productions and Chichester Festival Theatre in association with Nica Burns today announce the West End premiere of the Rose Theatre, Chichester Festival Theatre and ETT critically acclaimed productionofMarie and Rosetta, written by George Brant, and directed by Monique Touko. Reprising their roles are multi-award winning singer and actress Beverley Knight as Rosetta Tharpe and Ntombizodwa Ndlovu making her West End debut as Marie Knight. Running @sohoplace theatre for a strictly limited run 28 February – 11 April 2026, with press night on Friday 6 March at 7.30pm.
Beverley Knight said,
“Sister Rosetta Tharpe and her legacy had long been overlooked in music history. She deserves her place as one of the architects of rock ‘n’ roll, a Gospel singing, guitar shredding heroine who helped to shape popular music as we know it today. I’m so proud that we get to tell her story and that of her co collaborator Marie Knight played by the incredibly talented Ntombizodwa Ndlovu who makes her debut in the West End. She is a star in the making!”
Sister Rosetta Tharpe, the roof-raising ‘godmother of rock ‘n’ roll’, influenced countless musicians from Elvis to Johnny Cash. This sparkling, intimate portrait of Rosetta and her beloved singing partner, Marie Knight, restores these forgotten musical heroines to the spotlight as one of the most remarkable and revolutionary duos in music history.
Mississippi, 1946. Sister Rosetta has changed the face of gospel music with her exuberant, electric guitar-playing style. Shunned by straitlaced church folk for performing in nightclubs and glorying in rhythm and blues, she’s persuaded the saintly young singer Marie to join her on a tour of the segregated southern States. But first she has to convert Marie’s pure Sunday sound into something that has just a little more swing…
Featuring a wealth of joyous rock and gospel hits including Didn’t It Rain and Peace in the Valley, the show will feature live musicians accompanying Olivier Award-winning West End star Beverley Knight (Memphis, The Drifters Girl, Sylvia, Sister Act) as Rosetta Tharpe.
Starring with Beverley Knight is Ntombizodwa Ndlovu as Marie Knight making her West End debut. Her recent theatre credits include Cat On a Hot Tin Roof, The Space Between Us, Mixtape, Nothing, and The Mountain Top (Royal Exchange Theatre).
The creative team joining Touko includes Jodie-Simone Howe (Costume Designer), Kloé Dean (Movement Director), Tony Gayle (Sound Designer), Bethan Clark (Intimacy Director), Joel Trill (Voice & Dialect Coach), Jordi M. Carter (Associate Director) and Shirley Teteh (Musical Director and Guitar).
Jonathan Church said, “As the lights went down on the Rose Theatre’s premiere of this extraordinary show in Kingston, I witnessed something incredibly special . A show that delivered the joyous , celebratory quality of a musical alongside the depth of characterisation and detail of a great play . A unique and dazzling experience.
To be part of bringing Monique Touko’s exquisite production to the equally exquisite @sohoplace is a match made in heaven. I look forward to the sparks flying!“
Nica Burns said, “Two amazing actresses with spine tingling voices close up in the intimate auditorium of @sohoplace! Singing some of the greatest rock and roll songs, Beverley Knight and newcomer Ntombizodwa Ndolovu will give us performances to remember as their voices soar and thrill. Brilliant on their own and sensational together. It is only a 7 week season so book speedily as you really do not want to miss out.”
Jonathan Church Theatre Productions and Chichester Festival Theatre in association with Nica Burns present the Rose Theatre, Chichester Festival Theatre and ETT production of Marie and Rosetta.
Beverley Knight | Rosetta Tharpe
Queen of British Soul Beverley Knight has been one of the UK’s most consistently outstanding artists for over 3 decades. She can truly do it all; an Olivier award-winning star of the West End stage, astounding singer with a prolific music career and much-loved TV & broadcast talent, she finds herself recently 50 and bigger than ever.
Beverley was awarded an MBE in 2007 for services to British music and charity, has won an Olivier Award (and twice nominated for Best Actress), won three MOBO Awards, been nominated for Best Female at the Brit Awards 3 times and Best Album at the prestigious Mercury Music Prize. Last year she also won the Outstanding Contribution to Diversity Award at the European Diversity Awards and was honoured at the Ethnicity Awards for her continued efforts in the field.
Her outstanding live performances have gained her a legion of famous fans, she has collaborated on stage and on record with the likes of Prince, Jamiroquai, Bocelli, Take That, Tom Jones, Chaka Khan & Marvin Gaye. Her most recent ‘50’ headline tour last year marked the release of her ninth studio album and was her biggest ever tour of the UK, including a sold out Royal Albert Hall.
In recent years, Wolverhampton born Knight has forged a formidable parallel career in theatre. Her West End debut was the starring role in The Bodyguard followed by leading the Tony winning Memphis The Musical. At the request of Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber she joined the cast of Cats, playing the iconic role of Grizabella. 2021 saw Beverley lead The Drifters Girl (Olivier nominated Best New Musical) as the formidable manager of soul group The Drifters. Her role as Emmeline Pankhurst in the Old Vic’s production of Sylvia in 2023, garnered her both huge acclaim and her first Olivier Award win. Showing her versatility and comedic skill, Beverley starred as Deloris Van Cartier opposite Jennifer Saunders in the revival of Sister Act in Hammersmith Apollo’s highest grossing show ever in the venue, returning to the role opposite Ruth Jones at the Dominion last summer.
Her broadcasting work includes presenting 5 series of her own radio 2 show ‘Beverley’s Gospel Nights’, a panel judge in ITV’s talent series Starstruck and two series of the BBC1 show Just the Two of Us. She also appeared in the all-star cast of Amazon’s new live action movie Cinderella (2021) with Camilla Cabello in the title role.
A true British treasure, Beverley is a Patron for Terrence Higgins Trust, an ambassador for Plan UK, a founding member of The Circle plus long-time supporter of many charities.
Ntombizodwa Ndlovu | Marie Knight
Ntombizodwa Ndlovu graduated from the Manchester School of Theatre in 2021. In her third year she was a recipient of the Open Door Elevate Programme Award.
Ntombizodwa recently played Marie in Marie and Rosetta at Rose Theatre, Wolverhampton Grand & Chichester Festival Theatre for which she has been nominated for a UK Theatre Award for her performance.
Theatre credits include: Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, The Space Between Us, Mixtape, Nothing, The Mountaintop (Royal Exchange Theatre); BLITHE SPIRIT (Hope Mill Theatre); and A Time For Giving (Manchester International Festival).
Television & Radio Credits include: Banana; and You, Me & Her.
Monique Touko | Director
Monique Touko is a London/ Manchester based multidisciplinary artist- director and producer.
She is the recipient of the 2022 Stage Debut Award for Best Director.
Directing Credits: Liberation by Ntombizodwa Nyoni (Royal Exchange), G by Tife Kusuro (Royal Court, Jerwood Theatre Upstairs); UK Premiere of Wedding Band: A Love Hate Story in Black and White– by Alice Childress (Lyric Hammersmith); The Boy at the Back of the Class, based on the novel by Onjali Q. Raúf, adapted by Nick Ahad (Rose Theatre and Children’s Theatre Partnership – National tour); UK Premiere of School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play by Jocelyn Bioh (Lyric Hammersmith); We Need New Names, based on the Novel by NoViolet Bulawayo, adapted by Mufaro Makubika (National Tour); Gone Too Far! By Bola Agbaje (Theatre Royal Stratford East); The Clinic by Dipo Baruwa-Etti (Almeida Theatre); Fair Play by Ella Road (Bush Theatre), and Malindadzimu by Mufuro Makubika (Hampstead Theatre).
Her directing training includes Regional Theatre Young Directors Scheme at Royal Exchange Manchester. At the Young Vic, her training has involved the Intro to Directing course led by Sacha Weres, Boris Karloff Trainee Assistant Directors Programme and the Jerwood Assistant Director Scheme. In 2022, Monique was selected to take part in the National Theatre’s annual Directing Course.
Her assisting credits include: Wishlist by Katherine Soper, directed by Matthew Xia (Royal Exchange Manchester and Royal Court); Yellowman by Dael Orlandersmith, directed by Nancy Medina (Young Vic); On the Exhale by Martin Zimmerman, directed by Christopher Haydon (Traverse Theatre); Cock by Mike Bartlett, directed by Kate Hewitt (Chichester Festival Theatre); Shakespeare’s Richard II directed Lynette Linton and Adjoa Andoh (Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre); Ibsen’s
Rosmersholm adapted by Duncan Macmillan, directed by Ian Rickson (Duke of York Theatre); and Lorca’s Blood Wedding adapted by Marina Carr, directed by Yael Farber (Young Vic).
Monique’s skill set includes: New Writing, International Work, Facilitation, Devising, Script Reading, Drama School Shows and Projects, Training Actors and Working with Young People.
She is also part of The Ubunifu Space- A definitive guide to music and culture from the youth of Africa and the diaspora – the Ubunifu way. Monique is project manager for the Space and regular member of the UK reaction team on the youtube channel which has a global following of 320K+ subscribers and over 50 million views.
George Brant | Writer
George Brantis an award-winning writer for theatre, opera, and film. He is the author of over fortyplays, includingGrounded (stage play and opera version with music by Jeanine Tesori), Elephant’s Graveyard, Into the Breeches!, Marie and Rosetta, The Prince of Providence (adapted from the book by Mike Stanton), The Mourners’ Bench, The Land of Oz (music by Nathan Motta), Three Voyages of the Lobotomobile, Rust: A Story of Steel and Grit (adapted from the memoir by Eliese Colette Goldbach), Tender Age, and Crooked River Burning (adapted from the novel by Mike Winegardner).Hisscripts have been translated into 18 languages and performed in 28 countries by such companies as Public Theater, Atlantic Theater Company, the Kennedy Center, Page 73, Gate Theatre (London), Traverse Theatre (Edinburgh), and Festival d’Avignon.
Brant’s accolades include a Lucille Lortel Award, the Smith Prize, a Scotsman Fringe First Award and the Keene Prize for Literature. He has been awarded fellowships from the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center, MacDowell Colony, New Harmony Project, Hermitage Artist’s Retreat, and the Michener Center for Writers.
Brant has been commissioned by the Metropolitan Opera, Trinity Repertory Company, Dobama Theatre, the National Theatre of Genoa and Cleveland Play House. He is published by Concord Theatricals, Oberon Books and Smith & Kraus.
Brant is currently developing Buffalo Bill’s Last Ride for the National Theatre of Genoa and the opera Mothers of Kherson (with music by Maxim Kolomiiets) for the Metropolitan Opera House.
The theatre has a large cloakroom that can be used by all patrons free of charge. Out of respect for patrons and the auditorium, we request that large bags are checked into the cloak room.
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