All stories by Mark Shenton on BroadwayStars

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

West End's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Closing by Mark Shenton

A U.K. tour and Broadway planned next.

SOURCE: Playbill at 09:52AM

Michael Ball Returns to Host 2016 Olivier Awards by Mark Shenton

Two-time Olivier Award winner Michael Ball, who has won the Best Actor in a Musical Award for Hairspray in 2008 and Sweeney Todd in 2013, is to host this year's Olivier Awards, being…

SOURCE: Playbill at 08:06AM
Sunday, February 21, 2016

TICKETS: Mark’s Top Ten recommendations + this week’s openings (22 Feb) by Mark Shenton

Top ten of the week, with new addition for Simon McBurney's phenomenal The Encounter.

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 11:43PM
Friday, February 19, 2016

U.K. National Theatre Announces Casting and Dates For New Shows, Including The Flick from Off-Broadway by Mark Shenton

Casting and full dates have been announced for a slew of new National Theatre productions, including the London transfer of Annie Baker's The Flick, new productions of Brecht\/Weill…

SOURCE: Playbill at 07:29AM

U.K. National Theatre Announces Casting and Dates For New Shows, Including The Flick from Off-Broadw by Mark Shenton

Casting and full dates have been announced for a slew of new National Theatre productions, including the London transfer of Annie Baker's The Flick, new productions of Brecht/Weill's…

SOURCE: Playbill at 07:29AM

Hampstead Theatre Announces World Premieres by Howard Brenton and Mike Bartlett by Mark Shenton

London's Hampstead Theatre is to present the world premieres of Howard Brenton's Lawrence After Arabia (which follows the announcement that Chichester Festival Theatre is to revive R…

SOURCE: Playbill at 07:20AM

Hampstead Theatre Announces World Premieres by Howard Brenton and Mike Bartlett by Mark Shenton

London's Hampstead Theatre is to present the world premieres of Howard Brenton's Lawrence After Arabia (which follows the announcement that Chichester Festival Theatre is to revive…

SOURCE: Playbill at 07:20AM

Casting Announced for U.K. Tour of Guys and Dolls; Maxwell Caulfield to Play Nathan by Mark Shenton

While the West End's Guys and Dolls readies for a transfer (and many new cast members, as revealed here) to the Phoenix Theatre, Gordon Greenberg's production will simultaneously e…

SOURCE: Playbill at 07:12AM

Casting Announced for U.K Tour of Guys and Dolls, Running Simultaneously to West End; Maxwell Caulfi by Mark Shenton

While the West End's Guys and Dolls readies for a transfer (and many new cast members, as revealed here) to the Phoenix Theatre, Richard Greenberg's production will simultaneously …

SOURCE: Playbill at 07:11AM

Casting Announced for U.K. Tour of Guys and Dolls; Maxwell Caulfield to Play Nathan by Mark Shenton

While the West End's Guys and Dolls readies for a transfer (and many new cast members, as revealed here) to the Phoenix Theatre, Richard Greenberg's production will simultaneously …

SOURCE: Playbill at 07:11AM

Mark Shenton’s top venues: Union Theatre by Mark Shenton

I don’t think I love a theatre anywhere in London more than the Union, a scruffy little fringe space underneath a railway

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 05:53AM

Simon McBurney: ‘Theatre only exists in the eyes and minds of the audience’ by Mark Shenton

It’s safe to say that an interview with Simon McBurney, like an evening at one of his shows, is a challenging experience.

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 05:00AM
Thursday, February 18, 2016

Chichester 2016 Season Toplines “Downton Abbey” Star and Half a Sixpence by Mark Shenton

Hugh Bonneville, best known nowadays for playing Robert Crawley, the Earl of Grantham, in TV's "Downton Abbey," is to return to the stage to star in Ibsen's An Enemy of the…

SOURCE: Playbill at 06:02AM

Chichester 2016 Season Toplines 'Downton Abbey' Star and Half a Sixpence by Mark Shenton

Hugh Bonneville, best known nowadays for playing Robert Crawley, the Earl of Grantham, in TV's 'Downton Abbey,' is to return to the stage to star in Ibsen's An Enemy of t…

SOURCE: Playbill at 06:02AM

Mark Shenton’s theatre picks: February 18 by Mark Shenton

I’m playing a bit of catch up regionally myself this week, going to Theatr Clwyd where Tamara Harvey, who I shall be

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 02:00AM
Wednesday, February 17, 2016

War of the Worlds Opens Tonight at West End’s Dominion Theatre, with Jimmy Nail, Daniel Bedingfield, by Mark Shenton

The War of the Worlds, a much-traveled stage version of Jeff Wayne's album of the same name that has played regular arena tours around the U.K. and the world for eight years, is fina…

SOURCE: Playbill at 10:25AM

War of the Worlds Opens Tonight at West End's Dominion Theatre, with Jimmy Nail, Daniel Bedingfield, David Essex by Mark Shenton

The War of the Worlds, a much-traveled stage version of Jeff Wayne's album of the same name that has played regular arena tours around the U.K. and the world for eight years, is finally…

SOURCE: Playbill at 10:25AM

Toxic Avenger Musical to Receive U.K. Premiere by Mark Shenton

Joe DiPietro and David Bryan's The Toxic Avenger, a stage musical version of the 1984 film of the same name that was first seen at George Street Playhouse in New Jersey in 2008 prior to …

SOURCE: Playbill at 09:47AM

Toxic Avenger Musical to Receive U.K. Premiere by Mark Shenton

Joe DiPietro and David Bryan's The Toxic Avenger, a stage musical version of the 1984 film of the same name that was first seen at George Street Playhouse in New Jersey in 2008 prior to…

SOURCE: Playbill at 09:47AM

Lucy Simon: ‘Women are not perceived as being commercial’ by Mark Shenton

I’ve already written about the lack of female representation in musical theatre, at least at the composing end. Right now there are

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 02:00AM
Tuesday, February 16, 2016

Richard Kind, Samantha Spiro and More Confirmed for West End’s Guys and Dolls by Mark Shenton

The current West End production of Guys and Dolls, running at the Savoy Theatre through March 12, has announced casting for when it resumes performances at the Phoenix Theatre March 19, whil…

SOURCE: Playbill at 10:04AM

Mark Shenton: Mainstream theatre has a long way to go on race and gender by Mark Shenton

I’ve previously discussed the under-representation of female writers of musicals on Broadway. But it’s not just musicals. Last week, we welcomed a

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 02:00AM

Musical Adaptation of Mrs. Henderson Presents Opens in London Tonight by Mark Shenton

Tracie Bennett, Tony-nominated for the Best Leading Actress in a Play Tony Award for playing Judy Garland in End of the Rainbow on Broadway in 2012, reprises her role in the West End tra…

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00AM
Monday, February 15, 2016

TICKETS: Mark’s Top Ten recommendations + this week’s openings (15 Feb) by Mark Shenton

A Broadway comedy and two British created musicals arrive in the West End this week – one from last summer’s season at Bath’s Theatre Royal, the other after a long stage li…

SOURCE: mytheatremates.com at 10:27AM

Broadway’s Hand to God Opens in London Tonight With All-British Company by Mark Shenton

The Broadway comedy Hand to God, which recently closed at the Booth Theatre after a run of nine months and 337 performances, opens officially at the West End's Vaudeville Theatre Feb. 15…

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00AM
Friday, February 12, 2016

Tracy Letts’s Bug To Be Revived at West End’s Found111 with TV Star James Norton and Kate Fleetwood by Mark Shenton

Tracy Letts's play Bug is to revived at London's Found111, beginning performances March 24 prior to an official opening March 29, for a run through May 7. It will star James Norton, …

SOURCE: Playbill at 08:01AM

Strictly Ballroom—the Musical Headed to U.K. Stage, Premiering in Leeds in November by Mark Shenton

Strictly Ballroom—the Musical, a stage version of the 1992 Australian film of the same title by Baz Luhrmann, is heading to the U.K. stage, to premiere at West Yorkshire Playhouse …

SOURCE: Playbill at 07:09AM

Sheffield Production of Kern and Hammerstein’s Show Boat Lines Up West End Transfer to the New Londo by Mark Shenton

A new British production of Kern and Hammerstein's Broadway classic Show Boat first seen at Sheffield's Crucible Theatre last Christmas is to transfer to the West End's New Londo…

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00AM
Thursday, February 11, 2016

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Script To Be Published in Special Rehearsal Edition Day After West by Mark Shenton

The script for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Parts I & II, which tells the eighth in the series of "Harry Potter" stories and is written by original creator J.K. Rowlin…

SOURCE: Playbill at 07:53AM

West End Transfer of Motown the Musical Begins Tonight by Mark Shenton

The West End transfer of Motown the Musical begins performances Feb. 11 prior to an official opening March 8 at the Shaftesbury Theatre.

SOURCE: Playbill at 12:00AM
Wednesday, February 10, 2016

Mark Shenton: Let’s consider the terrifying future of premium ticket prices by Mark Shenton

They always say that the only things you can’t avoid are death and taxes (though Amazon, Google et al are doing a

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 02:00AM

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